


Dandelions

by peachypath



Series: The Flowers that Bloom [1]
Category: B.A.P
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Historical, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, SO SLOW I ALMOST DIED WHILE WRITING THIS, Slow Build, Strangers to Lovers, elf!Jongup, eventual daejae....in a diff oneshot perhaps?, healer!Jongup, himup - Freeform, human!Himchan, slight banglo more like fluff and pining tbh, you'd need a microscope for that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-04
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-07-12 03:48:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7084435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachypath/pseuds/peachypath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s early winter when Jongup realizes he doesn’t want to be a healer.</p><p>It’s late spring when Jongup first meets a human boy named Kim Himchan.</p><p>It’s spring of the next year, sitting in a field of dandelions when Jongup realizes with a devastated feeling that he’s fallen in love.<br/><br/><br/>Or, the story where Moon Jongup is an elf and human boy Kim Himchan tumbles into his life. Slow build, slow burn. Strangers to friends to lovers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sprout; part 1

#### Sprout  
Late spring; Year 1. 

Jongup whirled to the left, sweat drops beading from his brow. He wasn’t aware of how long he had been dancing, but the gentle breeze felt cool against his skin and his heart was beating in exhilaration. He swept around again, arms fluttering away from his side and all was wonderful. 

Jongup’s thoughts wandered. 

Earlier this morning the bell rang signifying the ending of class from the temple where school was held and Jongup had all but smashed his books into his leather skin bag and bolted out of there. 

To say that his classes were long, and tedious would be an understatement. The whole morning, all Jongup could think about was what a waste it was to be sitting in such a dull room when the flowers were blooming in the outside world. Realizing that he clearly lacked the ability to concentrate today, he had allowed himself to spend the majority of class staring out at the clear sky. Unfortunately this only exacerbated his bodies need to run outside of the dome shaped building to the clearing where he currently stood in the midst of.

Jongup had found this particular meadow that was surrounded by green forestry when he was only seven years old. He had been wandering off on his own as he often did, following the river north when he tumbled through ragged bushes and rolled into long deep blades of grass. The clearing was pretty isolated and stretched roughly three quarters of a mile long.

On one end, a large oak tree had spread, its branches covering a section of the clearing in great shade. The side of its deep roots ran into the edge of the river. On the opposite end, a series of large boulders sat almost perfectly creating a small pond where a steady stream of water flowed into it from above, a natural waterfall. It was beautiful and secluded, a secret haven that Jongup could relish and call his own. 

Stopping to catch his breath, Jongup trotted to his pouch at the base of the great oak tree and pulled out his deerskin bottle filled with water. Bringing the nozzle up to his lips, the elf took a long swig, only to spit it out in surprise when a loud cry erupted behind him. Something, or rather someone had tumbled into the shallow waters of the river. 

Wide eyed, Jongup watched as a blob of black shot out through the surface and gasped for air. The blob, turned out to be a boy who quickly pushed his hair back as he scrambled to the edge of the river. He hoisted himself out and vigorously tried to rub the water out of his eyes that was blurring his vision. The elf stood and stared, confused. Where had this boy come from and how had he found his secret spot? 

The dark haired boy looked up and the two were silent as they sized each other up. His eyes were black, very much like his hair and his nose was long and straight. He wore a brown colored tunic that clung tightly to his solid body. The water glistened against his porcelain skin and a droplet of water fell from the prominent edge of the boy’s upper lip. Jongup’s eyes traveled over and down to his jaw, the blunt edge rounding out and up towards high distinct cheekbones. His gaze traveled back to the intense stare of the other boy, and Jongup found himself growing flustered. 

Looking away, he caught sight of the tips of the soaked boy’s ears. Jongup’s breath hitched and he squinted, doing a double take to make sure he had seen correctly and that his sight was not deceiving him. 

The boy’s ears were rounded. He was a human and if Jongup wasn’t staring before- he certainly was now. In all seventeen years of life, he had been surrounded by elves. He had heard of humans but had never had the pleasure of coming face to face with one. Curiosity got the best of him, questions bombarded his head and he was suddenly aware of just how isolated he had been. There was definitely more to this world than the little village in the elven lands that he currently resided in.

The boy pushed wet bangs away, when something red smeared against his forehead. Blood began to drip down the side of his cheek. 

“You’re hurt.” Jongup blurted before he could think about what he was saying. His previous thoughts all scattered away as concern for the strange human replaced his mind. 

The boy blinked at Jongup before looking down at his palm. A surprised look quickly turned into a wince when he realized that there was a cut dragged across his palm. 

“Oh. Ow.” The human muttered, distraught. He began to look around for something that could help stop the bleeding.

He normally wasn’t so upfront but when his eyes caught sight of the blood, his instincts took over, automatically propelling his body into action. Before he knew it Jongup had crossed the clearing and was crouching uncertainly in front of the boy. 

“I um, can help you with that. If you want…” 

The boy looked at Jongup, clearly confused. 

“I’m a healer…an elf healer.” Jongup clarified, pointing to the signature crest attached to a silver chain that hung around his neck. The boy still looked hesitant, but Jongup decided to ignore the confused look and gently reached out to take the others hand. The faster one healed a wound, the easier it was to protect from infections. 

The cut ran diagonal from the base of the index to the bottom of the palm. Blood seeped out and mixed with the water on his wet arm. It was a deep flesh wound. 

Jongup closed his eyes in concentration and opened a channel connecting nature to his body. He began to feel the familiar sensation of the Earth thrumming through his veins. Mumbling a few phrases he began to coax the Earth to part with its energy, whispering seductively gentle promises. 

A soothing coolness began to spread out from his fingertips into the deep cut. The boy jolted in surprise, his reflexes causing him to pull his hand back but Jongup anticipated this, and had tightened his grip, firmly wrapping his left hand around the back of the dark haired boy’s hand. The wound slowly but surely began healing, fusing the skin together. Upon completion, he released the channel that he had summoned earlier and the power flowed back into the core of the earth. 

Jongup opened his eyes and inspected the wound feeling somewhat drained. Calling energy from the Earth always took a bit out of healers- that was the price they paid. On top of that, the elf had been tired from dancing.

Ripping a piece of his own loose shirt, he tied it around the boy’s freshly closed wound to prevent it from opening up again. He knew his shirt wasn’t exactly the most sanitary piece of cloth to be wrapping up a wound with, but it was all he had at the moment, and it would serve as a temporary barrier for the time being. 

“It’s still a bit fragile, put too much pressure and the wound may open again…it would probably be a good idea to give it a rest for another day or two.” Jongup said, voice trailing off.

Silence once again fell down upon them and Jongup quickly released the other’s hand, awkwardly clearing his throat. The noise seemed to bring the boy out of his stupor. 

“…Thank you.” The boy finally spoke up remembering his manners. Jongup looked up in surprise, his knees suddenly feeling a little weak. The black haired boys voice affected him in a strange manner. He hadn’t expected his voice to be so deep nor did expect it to be so pleasant to hear.

“I’m Himchan. Kim Himchan.” He continued. 

Himchan’s stare was so intense that Jongup found it difficult to maintain eye contact. Instead, the elf stared at the wrapped up wound, so much that he almost missed the human’s other hand held out towards him. It took Jongup a minute to realize that Himchan was patiently waiting for a handshake.

“I’m…Jongup.” He hesitantly reached out and lightly shook the other’s hand and stepped back to sit on a boulder facing the other, suddenly weary. 

“Where…did you come from?” Jongup continued, treading carefully. It was now that Jongup became fully aware of the fact that the human in front of him was a stranger. A stranger that he had just healed, without giving a second thought to who he was and how he may have come to hurt himself. For all Jongup knew he could have been a runaway, a criminal or someone terrifyingly dangerous. 

Yet even as Jongup’s imagination ran away from him, something deep down told him that the boy was harmless. Besides, the silver haired elf could hardly be called defenseless. With a pleasantly toned body from all the dancing and exercising he did, Jongup would surely be able to get a few blood inducing punches if the situation called for it.

As if sensing the slight distress the healer was feeling, Himchan answered his question quickly. 

“I’m from the Briggs” he confessed, “I was to deliver a package here.” He motioned towards the wet and soggy package laying a couple feet away from him that Jongup hadn’t noticed before. 

Jongup scratched the shaven sides of his head. The elf had never been to the Briggs before. However, he had heard of it and knew from school that it was a large town filled with shops. Lots of business was done there with goods being sent to and from the central marketplace. His teacher had been there once and noted that the outskirts of Briggs were dotted with small family farms and small cottage houses. 

“Then I uh, got a little lost…I suppose.” Himchan admitted, looking down to wring the edges of his damp shirt. The sun was beginning to set and with it the air began to cool. 

“…Do you think you could show me the way out of here?” Himchan asked, looking up at Jongup. When the latter nodded, Himchan felt the edges of his lips curve up.

❋ / ❋ / ❋

  

It had been two days since Jongup had met the mysterious boy. He now sat in the very same dreadful dome shaped building, once again vaguely listening to an elderly man drone on about Reiara, the elven land that they lived upon. Turning to the class, the instructor placed his glasses onto the podium. “Fifteen minute break.” He said shortly, nodding at the class before stalking out of the classroom.

Junhong whipped around to face Jongup, dragging all ten of his long digits over the sides of his cheeks. “Kill me.” He whined dramatically, eyes rolling into his lids as he mimicked a dead animal. 

Jongup dryly chuckled in response, knowing exactly how his friend was feeling. “Only about…an hour left.” 

Junhong groaned louder in response, flopping onto the wooden desk. “I want to go to Yongguk’s already.” Junhong mumbled, wondering if the hour left would seem like an eternity or not. 

Jongup raised an eyebrow at that. “You’ve been going to Yongguk’s a lot these past couple days.” 

“Yeah, it’s his turn as an Elder to fill out and review the census…I’ve been helping him.” Junhong replied, yawning.

The Elders were a council of five who led Reiara. They made all the political decisions and had existed since any elf living could really remember. Yongguk was currently the youngest Elder to exist, at an age of twenty-six. His sense of responsibility coupled with his ability to always think things through had earned him many votes when a vacant seat on the council was made available. He also had the uncanny ability to always come up with a solution and whether it was luck or brilliance so far all the solutions he provided had led to favorable outcomes.

“ _You?_ Helping with the _census_?” Jongup asked, squinting at his best friend. 

The other turned pink and indignant. “T-there’s nothing wrong with helping!” Junhong squabbled. 

Jongup shook his head in disbelief. His best friend, the laziest pile of shit on the planet had been helping Yongguk with work? Unbelievable. 

“What are you really up to?” Jongup asked believing that there had to be a reason as to why his friend was sacrificing his free time for unnecessary work.

“Nothin’!” Junhong snipped, cheeks still red as he turned back to the board. 

“Whatever…” Jongup shrugged giving up, knowing that he would figure it out sooner or later. 

The old instructor had stalked back in, the class eventually quieting as he cleared his hoarse throat. Before he could begin his lecture, a loud horn was sounded, a shrill cry piercing into the air. It sounded again, this time, longer. Jongup snapped his head up, eyes meeting with Junhong, then the teacher. The latter nodded, glasses dipping low on his wrinkled nose. Jongup grabbed his leather pouch, textbooks and sped out of the classroom, knowing that that particular horn sound signified the need for members of the Moon family for someone was hurt.

Hurrying out of the dome shaped building, Jongup threaded through a dozen elven ladies bustling around with laundry baskets and headed straight to his family’s building. The Moon family were the most prestigious healers around, so their home tended to always be busy. Today however, there were only two patients waiting in the hallway room.

Pushing away the curtain that separated the hallway and the main healing room, he saw a young girl lying down on a plush mat, groaning in pain. His mother kneeled before the girl’s ankle. A luminescent green light flowed out her fingers in an orb applied over the injury. Sensing his arrival she glanced up and motioned for Jongup to sit next to her. 

“Your father should be arriving any minute now. He went out to retrieve more pearl sand an hour ago. We can begin when he arrives, we don’t want to wait too long.” 

Jongup swept the girl’s bangs away as cold sweat beaded on her forehead. She weakly opened her eyes. Jongup muttered a relaxation spell and the girl’s lids drooped back into oblivion. 

“What happened to her?”

“Fell off a tree.” Jongup’s mother replied, shaking her head softly. “She landed wrong, her ankle is fractured.”

Someone pushed through the curtain and walked in. Jongup looked up to see his father placing a leather pouch to the side of the door. He nodded to Jongup in greeting. Jongup’s father was tall and strict. He couldn’t have been any more different compared to his son in terms of both appearances and personality. While Jongup had gotten his mother’s small squinty eyes, plump lips and round chin, his father had a very strong square jaw, a wispy beard lacing the edges of thin lips that rarely ever turned into a smile. The only features they seemed to share were a hooked nose and silky silver hair. He sat down next to Jongup’s mother, across from his platinum haired son. 

The three joined hands, surrounding the girl’s body.

“Jongup. Why don’t you try to lead this time? We’ll provide support.” Jongup’s father stated.

“M-me?” Jongup questioned, startled. “The injury looks bad though…and mom said her ankle is fractured.” 

Jongup’s father pursed his lips. “I have faith in you.” 

Jongup looked towards his mom, unsure of his ability to heal an entire broken bone. Healing flesh wounds Jongup could do- like he had done for Himchan- but healing bones required a much more experienced healer. Jongup wasn’t quite sure that he was ready for this, to fuse two bones back together. His mother smiled at him. Sensing his doubt, she reached out to squeeze his hand reassuringly. 

The platinum haired boy bit his lip glancing at the swelling limp nervously. His father frowned, waiting for his son to step up and take charge. A few moments passed before Jongup hesitantly nodded. 

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes. As usual, he felt the raw energy humming beneath his crossed legs. He opened a channel and let the power surge through his veins. 

Two other familiar energies began to run through the channel, one gentle and the other dependable. Jongup took comfort in this, his parents would be there for support in case anything went wrong. Together they first focused on soothing the swelling around the girl’s ankle. It would be easier to find the broken spot this way.

Jongup frowned, his mind probing the edges around the bone, feeling the edge of the crack from top to bottom. There was a sliver of a gap where the bone had become two pieces instead of one.

Taking another deep breath, he began to pull energy from the Earth through the channel. He whispered soothing words, convincing the Earth to part with its excess energy and coaxed the bone marrow to multiply. It started slowly. The cells began to regenerate, splicing itself before they all began to rapidly multiply. 

Sweat beaded down Jongup’s brow. He molded the marrow just like his parents had taught him in a demonstration a few weeks ago before slowly stopping the multiplication process before it flooded over. It was like trying to fill a water bottle to the top of its rim while both knobs of the sink were turned on high. 

The platinum haired elf frowned; he had been too slow, too much marrow had gathered. Breaking off the rough edges, Jongup gently smoothed it over with raw power like it was sandpaper.

Using just a bit more power, Jongup firmly pressed the two opposing bones together, holding it for a moment. He released his grip a fraction, and when the two bones didn’t fall apart the elf cracked a grin. He then checked to make sure he had done all the steps correctly. Satisfied, Jongup released his grip on the channel. The energy wasted no time rushing back to the core of Earth, hesitant to share anymore of its force. 

The seventeen year old collapsed back with a relieved yet exhausted groan, the tiredness hitting him instantly like an oncoming train. One hardly ever felt the effects of healing until after the job was completed, and it always took a toll depending on the amount of power that was used. This was the price of being a healer. 

He swiped away the bits of sweat that had gathered on his forehead and opened his eyes looking at the injury. His mother and father were finishing the last part, trying to remove the black and blue bruises as much as possible. By the time they were done, the young girl’s ankle was still slightly swollen, but definitely much better than when she had arrived.

His parents looked far better than Jongup did, which was to be expected since they only provided minor support, and surpassed him in both endurance and experience. 

Jongup’s mother rose to go change a bucket of water that sat near the girl. She would need a cool towel to drape over her ankle to reduce any swelling that was left. His father looked at Jongup with what could only be called pride.

“Well done, my son. With this, you have already advanced much more than many of the apprentices I have taken on.” 

Jongup tiredly smiled in reply. “Thanks, father” he paused. “Although my stamina could be improved…I feel as if I’ve been running non stop for days.”

His father softly chuckled in response and Jongup’s eyes shot up towards his father’s square face, slightly surprised. It wasn’t often that his father ever cracked a laugh, and it had certainly been a while. 

“Yes…well that is to be expected. You ought to take a warm bath and rest up. You are very much pale. Although, at this rate, perhaps it won’t be too long before you take over my clinic.” 

Jongup’s smile faltered, heart dropping. 

It was a couple months back when Jongup had realized he didn’t want to follow the healer’s path. Although he wasn’t bad at it, the art of healing wasn’t the one that called out to him. Whereas healing did make Jongup feel extremely accomplished, it was dancing that made him feel alive. Dancing was where his passion lay and he had no idea how to break it to his proud, hopeful parents that he had practically no desire to follow in their footsteps. And so, he had decided not to. 

Children always followed their parents’ footsteps. That was just how tradition went, and how things worked in Reiara. Every child felt the call, and Jongup had always been confused because he had never felt the exotic thrill, the high, the blood rushing through his veins till it made him dizzy that every elf spoke of until he had attended his first mandatory dance lesson at the temple.

It hadn’t mattered though. Jongup was born in the Moon family, the most prestigious, successful healers for decades. It was an honor to be a Moon healer, and so a healer he would become. Nobody would ever know there was something utterly wrong with Jongup. Not the villagers, not his relatives nor his friends, and especially not his parents. 

Jongup swallowed, and grinned back at his father. He couldn’t look down or disappointed.

Once, the platinum haired elf had asked his father what he thought of the dancer path. His father had scoffed, shaking his head in rough disapproval. 

“Impractical. Their path only serves to bring themselves joy, where as many other paths bring others benefit. It’s utterly impractical.” He repeated, lacing the last word with slight disgust.

Jongup’s heart had instantly plummeted. He had felt stunned and offended to the point where he was on the brink of talking back- something Jongup never did. But before the words could even leave his mouth, his father had interrupted him.

“I seriously hope you aren’t considering such a path.” His father muttered dryly with disdain. His thick brow had risen, clearly unimpressed. 

“…No.” Jongup had replied weakly. “…I was just curious.” 

His father stared at Jongup with a squint, before looking dead into his son’s eyes. 

“All is well then. Don’t do something useless Jongup. I have raised you to be smarter than that. You are my only son, and you are destined for greater things.” Jongup had numbly nodded. That night, he remembered feeling too sick to eat dinner.

His thoughts were broken when his mother rushed back into the room. “Jongup, go rest before you fall asleep here.” She said, gently nudging her son’s limp body with her foot. 

Seeing that he wasn’t going to move, she placed down the bin full of water and knelt down in front of her son. Sliding her hand down his cheek before giving it a light playful slap, she placed a gentle kiss on the crown of the young elfs’ head. 

“You did a job well done. And don’t forget to bathe.” She added the last part chuckling all while scrunching up the tip of her nose. 

Jongup laughed, body groaning and screeching in protest as he slowly moved out of the main room and rounded the corner into the living quarters. _Good lord, stairs._ Jongup glumly thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there!! I've been planning this story since the end of January...but with that college study life I had been so busy I wasn't able to write as much as I wanted to! But thankfully it's summer now.
> 
> Leave a kudo if you like what you see so far, or post a comment and let me know what you think! :)
> 
> (I posted this on AFF as well! http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1134324/dandelions-bap-daejae-himup-banglo-slowbuild-slowburn-aufantasy)


	2. Sprout; part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jongup and Himchan get to know each other a little more.

The very next time Jongup saw him it was about a week later. Jongup had entered the clearing pushing aside a set of branches that acted as a hidden doorway of some sort. 

He was sitting on the same boulder Jongup had sat on last time, dipping the edge of his worn leather boot into the shallow edges of the river. This time he wore a gray colored tunic, the sleeves cut right below his elbows. It was spring after all, and the days were steadily growing warmer. As if sensing the other’s presence, the dark haired boy looked up at Jongup. 

“Oh! You’re here.” He spoke, his deep voice rumbling from his chest. “I, um, wanted to thank you for healing my hand.” He flexed it, thoughtful expression quickly being replaced by awe and astonishment.

Jongup couldn’t help the grin that split across his face at this, and as he sat down on the boulder facing Himchan, the elf observed that the only evidence remaining of the injury was a faint scar. It had indeed healed nicely.

The dark haired boy turned towards the pouch he had brought. It was laying against the boulder to the right, and as Himchan leaned over to grab it, the corner of his shirt lifted. Jongup’s eyes traced over the stretched hipbone. Himchan’s skin was pale and smooth.

Loosening the pouch, he reached in and pulled out something wrapped in thick brown wool. Gently flipping it over, he handed it to Jongup. 

The platinum haired boy eyed the gift curiously, shifting the object from one hand to the other. The object weighed down against his palm, and immediately the elf could tell that it was something delicate.

Himchan watched the elf carefully, unsure what the boy would think of it.

Gingerly, Jongup began unwrapping the layers of cloth. His breath hitched. It was made of stained glass, cut and shaped carefully into some sort of flower. Dozens of tiny petals squeezed tightly together, branching out in every direction. It resembled the rays of the sun. 

Jongup turned it once again holding it above his eye. His lips parted in awe when the bright yellow ornament blasted into a myriad of sparkles. 

“What is it?” Jongup whispered.

“It’s a dandelion.” Himchan replied, the edges of his lips curling up as he watched the elf’s eyes glitter in awe.

Jongup’s brow furrowed, fascinated. “A dandelion?” he echoed. 

Himchan nodded. “You don’t have any here? They’re extremely common over up in the Briggs.” 

Jongup shook his head, holding it up so that the crystals of each side glimmered in the sunlight. 

“It’s not much…” the dark haired boy began. 

“No, it’s beautiful.” Jongup interrupted. “Where did you get it?” 

Himchan looked sheepish in response. “I actually made it.” He said, leaning back on his palms. “Back when I stayed over at Mirstone, I worked for a glass shaper for a little while. I’m not as good as he is, obviously, but he taught me a few tricks.”

“No…this is amazing.” Jongup answered honestly, unable to tear his eyes away from the object. It was really quite impressive and Jongup was quickly learning that there was more to Himchan than meets the eye. 

The elf’s thoughts suddenly paused and backtracked. He then snapped his head up, eyes wide. “Wait, did you say you’ve been to Mirstone?” 

Jongup had learned about Mirstone in geography, it was a neighboring state that lay just north of Briggs. Rumors were that everything in Mirstone was made of blue crystals or quartz, and that the king of humans lived up there in a castle made of sapphires.

Himchan nodded absently twirling a blade of grass between his fingers. “I do a lot of trading around there.”

“Oh, what’s it like there?” Jongup breathed with excitement. “Is it true? That everything there is made of crystals and quartz and sapphires? Like the castle?” 

The dark haired boy laughed, shaking his head. “No, not really. The buildings there are made of stone dug up from the caves. The stones there have a sort of translucent shine in the moonlight…it’s quite the sight.” Himchan explained, hands gesturing the shape of a cave. “I stayed there for a couple weeks. I would live there, if I could afford it.” He added, as an afterthought. 

Jongup leaned forward. “So where else have you been? And are you a glass shaper?”

Himchan covered his mouth in an attempt to stop the oncoming chuckles. Jongup was so wide-eyed and curious, it reminded him of Daehyun’s younger siblings. The elf at first glance was not at all who he seemed to be. Considering the way he danced, lithe strong body moving as smooth as cool liquid, he carried a certain pure innocence that Himchan couldn’t help but feel drawn to.

“I’ve been to a couple towns here and there…I’m not a glass shaper. I take whatever job I can to survive. You ask a lot of questions…I take it that you like to explore?” Himchan laid his head against his palm, entertained.

Jongup nodded. “I do…I want to travel to all different sorts of places around the world. I’ve never left Reiara though.” He added glumly.

“You can, one day.” Himchan begins, sitting up straighter and leaning in close so that the elf’s eyes are on him. “You’re young-just like me. There’ll be plenty of opportunities for you to see the world, I’m sure of it.” Himchan continues, not completely sure why he felt the need to comfort the other. All he knew was that he wasn’t fond of the disappointed look the elf’s face had morphed into. So when Jongup nodded and smiled, Himchan knew he had said something right and a tingling feeling of proud accomplishment bubbled within him.

The two chatted on for a while longer until the sun began to set. It fell east over the Black Forest, a mass land of wispy dark trees that few traveled through. The meadow they sat in was technically considered part of the Black Forest, but unlike the east area where the forest grew thick and burly, the west side was more spacious and pleasant- filled with meadows and streams. Packs of wolves roamed within the East area, living far from civilization. 

The air was beginning to cool, and Himchan reluctantly reached for his leather pouch that he always brought with him. He still needed to deliver a bundle of parchments over to Yongguk.

Watching Himchan gather his things in preparation to leave, Jongup felt his heart sink. This surprised him, as the platinum haired boy had originally been weary of the idea of someone finding his secret spot. However, the more time he spent with Himchan, he found that the other boy was the sort of company that he honestly didn’t mind having. Himchan was intriguing in more ways than one and his extensive knowledge on various topics kept Jongup entertained for hours. 

“I-“ Jongup began. 

“Well-“

The two met eyes, startled before they began to nervously chuckle. “What were you going to say?” Himchan asked softly, deep voice raspy. Crickets had begun to chirp now that the sun was nearly settled, painting the sky a brilliant hue of blended shades of purples, pinks and orange.

Jongup looked down, biting his lip. He wasn’t sure what he was about to say but he did know that he didn’t want it to be the last time they would meet.

“I…just wanted to thank you again…for the gift.” Jongup motioned to the glassy ornament now carefully covered and tucked into his own pouch. Himchan shook his head. 

“No, it’s a thanks from me. For you know.” He replied, gently rubbing the scar. 

The two sat there in silence, grasping for something else to say. Jongup fiddled with a ring on his finger. He really didn’t want to say goodbye to the other, but there was no good reason, none that he could possibly come up with to delay their departure.

“So, I guess this is goodbye?” Jongup asked, trying to quirk his lips into a casual smile. 

“I’m actually coming back here next week!” Himchan blurted out.

“Oh! Really!” Jongup’s voice raised a pitch. The dark haired boy nodded, a bit too vigorously. 

“Yeah, I’ll be at Reiara to deliver another package. I’ll probably stop by here…I mean, if you don’t mind? It’s really relaxing here.” The older boy responded, gesturing towards the clearing. 

Jongup shook his head, smiling. “I don’t mind. Although we better leave before it gets too dark.” Although the elf knew the path to the clearing almost as well as he knew the back of his hand, it was much easier to get lost in the dark. Jongup’s stomach had also begun grumbling. 

And so the two had finally gotten up, brushing any traces of dirt off the back of their pants and threaded their way out of the forest. They parted ways and when Jongup slipped into his house later that night- clutching his gift, the warm air from the makeshift fireplace wasn’t the only thing that spread warmth through his body. 

 

❋ / ❋ / ❋

 

They had met up another time after that, on the same day of the week at around the same time. Through their conversations, Jongup had learned more about the dark haired boy. Himchan was nineteen years old, two years older than Jongup. He was a trader and his job included quite a bit of traveling to different towns selling, bargaining and or delivering materials to all sorts of people. 

He accepted jobs from various people, the bulk of them residing in Briggs. Himchan wasn’t terribly picky about the jobs that he took, so he had acquired a few odd requests but he had managed to stay away from any that he knew would get him into trouble. The dark haired boy made enough to rent a small cottage on the outskirts of the marketplace in Briggs town.

It was all so captivating to Jongup, who had always wondered what other villages or towns were like, and the way that Himchan spoke of his destinations made the elf feel as if he could listen for days. Perhaps it was the compelling way Himchan spun his tales or maybe it was just the fact that Jongup could be interested in anything and everything that lay outside of Reiara. They had chatted till late afternoon all over again, before Himchan had reluctantly left as he had an early job to do the next morning.

 

❋ / ❋ / ❋

 

“So how does it work?” Himchan asked suddenly, staring at his palm. 

The scar was almost gone now, a faint white line the only evidence left. Spring had came and left and now it was summer. They no longer sat basking in the warm sunlight, instead taking refuge under the shade of the great oak tree. 

Jongup hummed, glancing up from a worn history book to meet Himchan’s dusky eyes. The elf looked away, startled. He found that he sometimes couldn’t keep the older boy’s gaze for long periods of time. 

“How does what work?” 

“The healing.” 

Pushing away the book, Jongup leaned back and stretched. The book was boring anyways.

Himchan observed the span of the elf’s abs, lips and mouth becoming a fraction drier.

“Well…” he began, wrinkling his nose. “All elves can feel the Earth. Its presence is always thrumming below our feet…when you touch the ground, you can feel her hum. It’s sort of a gentle vibration, barely noticeable unless you’re consciously aware of it.” 

Jongup placed his palm against the ground, thoughtfully. Mother nature hummed in response. “Kind of like your heartbeat, I guess.” 

Himchan placed one hand over his chest, then onto the ground. “I don’t feel anything.” 

Jongup chuckled. “Of course you don’t, you’re a human.” Jongup replied, gaze following the curve of the round tipped ears that poked out between the other’s dark strands of hair. Jongup squashed the sudden urge to reach over to touch it.

“Not all elves can heal however. You have to have the ability to open a channel so that power from Mother Nature can flow into your body. Then once you’re done, you just release it back through the tips of your fingers.” The platinum haired boy finished, wiggling his digits.

“Oh.” Himchan smiled. “When you healed me, it felt weird…like something cool and foreign was spreading under my skin. It was uncomfortable at first…but, it was gentle.” 

Jongup laughed. “People tell me that all time. The gentleness, I mean. Many say I get it from my mother.”

 

❋ / ❋ / ❋

 

_One week later_

Himchan had arrived to the clearing first this time, settling between the deep roots of the great oak tree. The two met whenever they could manage, which ended up being about once a week. The first couple times, the dark haired boy would bring different little trinkets he’d accumulated over the years from trading as Jongup showed a ton of great interest. He was starting to run out though, and some things were just too heavy or delicate to bring over.

Himchan enjoyed Jongup’s presence and he was glad that the other seemed to enjoy his company as well. The second time that they had met, Himchan had wanted to see the other again so badly that he had blurted out that he would be in Reiara again to deliver more packages, without a second thought, fully aware that this wasn’t even remotely true. 

Himchan gazed curiously at the platinum haired boy, his own legs stretched out on the grassy meadow. He watched sweat shimmer across Jongup’s neck and down his pointed ears as he spun and slid to the other side. 

The elf was an extraordinary dancer, but something was off this time. His steps seemed to be clumsier and unfocused. The other time he had witnessed Jongup dancing, he seemed to flow with relative ease along with a carefree vibe. Today, however, he danced with a stormy desperation mixed with a hint of fury. The air about him was different and it left Himchan feeling uneasy. The older boy’s heart felt heavy and worry washed through him.

Jongup had abruptly entered the clearing with a troubled look on his face. He hadn’t even noticed the dark haired boy lying against the grand oak tree, instead tossing his pouch and wool knit sweater to the side and began dancing as if his life depended on it. To say the least, Himchan had been startled, but upon seeing the elf’s conflicted expression, he had decided to keep his mouth shut.

He seemed stressed, and the longer Jongup danced the more the underlying fury had seemed to ebb away. One hour later Jongup finally took a break, exhaustion breaking his body. He turned to the great oak tree, alarmed to see Himchan watching him. 

“When did you get here?” Jongup asked, trotting over to the shady spot- deerskin water bottle in hand. Himchan placed some book Yongguk gave him to read off to the side, bookmarking the page before closing it. 

“I was here the whole time.” Himchan answered after a moment of hesitation, unsure if he was intruding. The other boy clearly had come here with a reason. He had considered leaving, but worry for the elf kept him sitting at the base of the tree.

Jongup guzzled down large gulps of water. “Oh.” He finally said, wiping at a droplet of water that had dribbled down the corner of his lips.

The two stared at each other for a moment. A crease filled the spot between Himchan’s eyebrows. 

“Jonguppie? Are you okay?” 

The other didn’t reply. Instead he frowned, looking down. 

_What was bothering him?_ Himchan wondered silently unsure if it had even been a good idea to ask. Perhaps Jongup didn’t feel close enough to confide in him and it would have been a better idea to leave when the elf hadn’t known he was there.

Jongup plopped onto the ground next to the dark haired boy. He laid down on his belly, crossing his arms to pillow his forehead so that it wouldn’t hit the bare ground. Himchan looked down at the head lying near his thigh. Cautiously, he reached out and placed his hand on top of the other’s head. He had wanted to touch the other’s shimmery hair for quite a while now. His dexterous fingers began to slide through the damp silky silver hair in a calming motion. 

Jongup sighed and pressed his head further into the plush outer side of Himchan’s thigh. After another moment of silence and a deep breath, Jongup spoke up.

“I’ve told you, how I come from a family of healers?” Himchan’s fingers paused, nodding. 

“Yes.” He spoke once he realized the younger couldn’t see him nod. Jongup frowned, nudging the thigh beside him. Himchan continued stroking his head. 

“I’m supposed to choose a healer for my path.” 

Jongup turned so that he could face the other. A ray of sunlight shot through the great oak tree’s leaves and bounced on the older’s straight nose. Jongup could see up the other’s nostrils from this angle. The thought distracted him and made him quirk a small smile. It only lasted a few seconds before it disappeared. 

“Do you know about the paths?” Jongup continued. 

Himchan looked down at the other’s pointy ears, beginning to lightly massage the other’s head in a calming manner.

“No, not really. I’ve heard of it but…” Himchan trailed off. Yongguk had once said something about being a pathfinder as well as an Elder. Himchan had just given him a blank stare and a couple blinks in response, and the latter waved it off with his slender hands that were always decorated with many different silver rings. 

“Every elf born has a calling. Some are mechanics, others fishers, warriors, teachers and many more. Many are born into it, taking after their father or mother. Both of my parents are healers, so since I have potential I’m expected to follow their footsteps.” 

Jongup stopped, silent. Then he started up again, after a moment.

“In two years, when I turn nineteen at my ceremony I’m to name my path and become an apprentice...my father is head of the healers and at the end of my nineteenth birthday I will officially be a healer apprentice learning under my father’s guidance.”

“You’re…supposed to become a healer…just because your parents are?” 

“To not become one would be a waste of my gift...being a healer is one of the most prestigiously prized paths.” Jongup said, mock quoting his father. 

Himchan considered this, silent. It was one of the best things an elf could devote their life to. And yet, Jongup seemed sad.

“You don’t want that life.” The human boy stated, more than questioned.

Jongup was silent, eyebrows pulled into a knot, lips tight. Himchan had hit the core of his inner turmoil. The elf wouldn’t look up at the human boy, and he burrowed his face back into his arms. 

It was silent for so long, that Himchan had thought that was the end of the topic. The tree behind them gently swayed and a green leaf fell to the ground, twisting and turning before it landed on the top Jongup’s shoulder. 

And that was when Himchan heard it. He almost didn’t. Barely a whisper, Jongup mumbled.

“It doesn’t call to me.” 

Gazing down at the other, the older boy’s chest clenched.

“So what does?” Himchan whispered, already having a vague idea of what _did_ call to the other.

Jongup’s shoulders tensed up even more. Although he had known for a while, he had never voiced it out loud, never dared to mention it to anybody. It was almost as if he did, it would become all the more true- and Jongup couldn’t have that.

It just wasn’t an option. 

He couldn’t imagine what anyone would say or think of him after that. Not everyone had the ability to open a channel and call upon the powers of Earth. It would be a complete waste of the gift that he was given and he could already feel the disappointment that he knew his parents would feel. He could feel their hopes and dreams for him shattering and their hearts breaking. 

But the seventeen year old was tired, so tired of dealing with the expectations of his family, friends and villagers. Tired of suppressing what truly mattered to him. It was why he always came to the clearing to dance. It was the one place that allowed Jongup to be who he truly wanted to be and do what he wanted to do without any fear of judgment. 

Even Junhong who knew that Jongup liked to dance, assumed it was healing that was his passion, for it was the passion of his parents’ and kids always took after the passion of their parents. That’s how it was and always had been, it was as undeniable as the law of gravity.

Jongup slowly got up, folding his knees inward so that his arms came around to hug them. He stared at a small flower, downturned lips slightly quivering. The flower’s buds sprouted out between the roots of the great oak tree. His eyes began to tingle, becoming hot as tears stung the rims of his lids. He looked into the other’s charcoal eyes and that’s when he felt the tears begin to spill. 

“Himchan, I want to be a dancer.” Jongup whispered, voice breaking. His lower lip quivered and Himchan’s heart lurched. The dark haired boy leaned forward, pulling the trembling boy into his arms. Jongup began sobbing and he clung to the other, wrapping his hands around as tight as he possibly could. 

As much as Jongup hadn’t wanted to admit it, it had felt so uplifting to finally let out the thing that had been bothering him for many months. It felt good to cry, and so Jongup let his walls down and allowed himself to unravel in the other’s embrace, something he hadn’t done in quite a while. 

In fact, the more Jongup cried, the stronger his emotions became. All the pent up waves of frustration came roaring back and furiously crashed against his chest. Jongup clutched the edges of his shirt so hard his knuckles were white. 

Himchan watched, surprised at the frustration that had suddenly evolved to despair and anger. Yet, the human boy was also not surprised. Everyone had a limit. 

“I hate it. I hate it so much, I wish they would all disappear.” Jongup said suddenly, blinded by his frustration.

Himchan frowned, and immediately stiffened, pulling away from the elf. The platinum haired boy looked up in confusion, shuddering at the lost of contact. He blinked, so that the tears wouldn’t blur his vision and only became more confused when he saw the dark haired boy glaring at him, lips turned down in obvious disapproval. 

Himchan’s glare softened at the younger’s confusion and tears. Jongup didn’t know about the older’s past and thus couldn’t possibly understand why such a statement would bother the human this much. 

Himchan shook his head, mentally slapping himself for letting his emotions get the best of him when a friend was obviously in the midst of his own despair. Leaning forward, the dark haired boy peered into the elf’s watery eyes before slowly speaking.

“Jongup. I know you’re frustrated. I know you’re angry. I also know you don’t truly mean that. But don’t say things you don’t mean. You’ll regret it.” Himchan’s voice tapered off in a way that made Jongup wonder if he was speaking from experience. 

Jongup shook, wiping his eyes. The older was right, he hadn’t truly meant that.

Himchan gently pushed the elf’s bangs up and out of the way in a subtle apology for the harsh gaze. He hadn’t meant to scare the poor boy in any way. “Have you tried telling them?”

The elf looked down, shaking his head. “No, I-I can’t be a dancer, I- I’ve already decided. I can’t. I won’t.” The young elf said as his body shook again, another sob racking through his body. 

Himchan’s face crumbled and he pulled the other back into his arms, tongue stuck in his throat. It wasn’t what Himchan thought Jongup should do, but the boy had obviously came to the decision on his own, and the dark haired boy would respect that. With how little the human knew about the other’s culture and situation, he thought it would be better to calm and support rather than attempt to change the elf’s mind, which was what Himchan initially wanted to do.

Jongup was pretty sure he was soaking the other’s shirt and getting snot all over it but if the other noticed, he didn’t say anything about it. For the rest of the afternoon, Himchan laid his chin against Jongup’s head, rubbing slow soothing circles on the dancer’s neck and upper back.

When Jongup finally quieted down- with the occasional hiccup shaking his body- Himchan cupped his cheek with both hands and wiped the remaining tear leaking out of the corner of his eye. He peered into the younger’s eyes and brushed away a fallen strand of hair. 

“Feel better?” he asked gently, so close their foreheads almost touched.

Jongup nodded, sniffing and laughing. He felt so much better now that he had cried out his sorrows. He couldn’t quite believe he had a full on meltdown in front of Himchan, someone he had only known for a month. 

However, there was something about the other that made Jongup feel as if he could let his guard down. Perhaps it was the fact that he was an outsider. Being an outsider meant that Himchan wasn’t someone who had expectations or pre-formed beliefs of Jongup. He hadn’t known who the silver haired boy was at all, hadn’t immediately known who his father was or placed the connection when Jongup had said his surname, and hadn’t recognized the prestigious healers crest that demanded immediate respect.

Kim Himchan simply learned all about Moon Jongup from the time they spent together and expected nothing more than what he got. He accepted him for who he was and didn’t care what the elf chose for his future. Jongup’s lips gingerly turned upwards. He was incredibly glad that it was the human boy who was here beside him today. 

“I wish I could be a human like you. Do what I want, whenever I want.” Jongup said with shaky breaths of laughter. 

Himchan chuckled. “It’s not as easy being a human as you think.”

Jongup sighed. “I suppose not.” 

Himchan grinned, thumbs ghosting over the younger’s puffy eyes. Jongup’s eyes widened and his face suddenly grew red and warm when he realized how close Himchan’s face was to his. 

Jongup quickly pulled back, chest thumping. He leaned over the creek to study his appearance also very suddenly aware of how he looked. The elf winced. His eyes were puffier than a stretched out cotton ball and they were rimmed red, irritated from the rubbing. 

He also looked as exhausted as he felt, which said a lot considering he had came back from a healing session, danced for hours and then had a meltdown.

“God, I look like shit don’t I.” 

Himchan laughed in response, the deep throaty sound filling hopeful warmth through Jongup’s chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! More interaction between our fav babies!
> 
> Thanks to everyone who left a comment on the first chapter, it made me really happy! And if you liked this chapter, please leave a comment as well about your favorite part or what you think/what you think will happen next! No matter how short, comments are feedback and lets me know how you all feel about what I'm writing so far. :)
> 
> Also, I uploaded my second Himup drabble yesterday! You can find it in my other story "I'm comfortable with you."


	3. Sprout; part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little insight into Himchan's life.

The sun had began to dip and they had parted ways. Jongup had wanted to stay in the clearing for a while longer, and Himchan made sure the younger promised to drink tons of water when he arrived home. It was clear the platinum haired boy would need to hydrate between all the dancing and crying he had done the past couple of hours. 

While the trek home wasn’t necessarily a long one, today it took Himchan about forty minutes, which was nearly double the normal time. The sweltering heat combined with Himchan’s wandering mind turned his normally brisk walking pace into the equivalent of a turtles crawl. The sky was still light out, although it was getting late. That was the beauty of summer. Himchan wouldn’t have to walk home in the dark, worrying over murderers or bandits.

In all honesty, the dark haired boy would have crashed at Yongguk’s cabin just to avoid the heat, but duty called and he had to be back in Briggs Town as Youngjae had mentioned earlier that his parents had wanted to tell him about a job prospect they had gotten a late notice of. Himchan had to decide by tomorrow morning and so he had replied that he would be back in Briggs Town sometime today to ask about it. 

The dark haired boy had even planned to leave a little earlier today, but couldn’t bring himself to leave the poor elf in shambles all alone to cry by himself. Himchan had always found it ridiculously hard to part ways with Jongup on most days anyways.

After half an hour in, the lamps that dotted the sides of the stone pathway lit up. Himchan walked through the familiarly ratty town, watching a young daughter and son run in circles near their mother. About half a mile away, he could see the two-story cottage Daehyun’s family lived in. 

It was built with sturdy wood painted in a cream white color. Himchan had remembered when Daehyun’s family had painted the house, it was many years ago when Himchan was eight, and the other had been seven. The two had wanted to help paint the roof, and when Daehyun’s mother had caught them climbing up the ladder she had screeched bloody murder until they came all the way back down. It turned out that Youngjae had been the little rat that told on them because he was the smarty-pants who knew it was too dangerous. The dark haired boy rolled his eyes fondly at the memory.

Trotting down the stone pavement, and up to the door, Himchan knocked. Sounds of lively conversations could be heard. Someone yelped and the dark haired boy heard footsteps thudding to the door. Daehyun’s house was like that- always filled with warmth and laughter. 

Somebody swung the door open and Himchan looked down. It was one of Daehyun’s younger siblings. She shyly giggled, turning back to the others in the house. The smell of broth wafted through the house and the dark eyed boy’s mouth watered.

“Himchan is here!” she squealed. Himchan chuckled.

“Yes I am!” He replied gleefully, sweeping her high up into the air in greeting. 

“Himchan, shut the door! You’re going to let all the bugs in!” a familiar nagging voice shot through the air. 

The dark haired boy looked over to see Youngjae stomping over to shut the door himself once Himchan had walked in. He wore a bright pink apron, held a ladle in one hand and balanced a young boy on the other side of his hip. He rushed back into the kitchen and Himchan was tempted to open the door again just to piss Youngjae off.

Instead, he chose to follow the other into the kitchen and found Daehyun’s mom standing in front of a large pot of soup. She turned and smiled at him. 

“Hello Himchan. Would you care to join us for dinner?” she asked, voice light. 

Himchan hesitated. As much as he would have loved to, he disliked imposing in on dinners that he didn’t pay for. 

Although not related, Youngjae often ate at Daehyun’s house (was always at Daehyun’s house in general) as his parents were always busy working at the Wild Gazelle, a tavern they owned in town. However, unlike Himchan, Youngjae’s parents always gave Daehyun’s family leftover meals or bags of flour from the tavern whenever they could. 

Himchan and his dead parents on the other hand, had nothing to offer in return.

“Ah, well-“ Himchan began, ready to reject the kind offer.

Daehyun’s mother clicked her tongue effectively cutting him off. She shook her head at him in disapproval. She had seen the hesitance in his expression. 

“Kim Himchan, if you think you’re going to go home without a well-fed belly filled with my famous chicken broth then you better think twice. Now go get the plates out of the cabinet would you?”

Himchan opened his mouth to thank and try to reject the offer again when Daehyun’s mother passed by and flicked him on the nose. 

“Listen to your elders!” she chided.

“Yeah, listen to your elders!” Youngjae chimed in gleefully, stirring the pot of soup.

Himchan rolled his eyes at the auburn haired boy, strongly resisting the urge to kick him in the butt. 

He totally would’ve, but Himchan didn’t want Youngjae to bump into the pot less it spill over, making Daehyun’s mother angry. Speaking of angry, the dark haired boy turned and she stood facing him with one hand cocked on her hip. 

She gave him a pointed look and Himchan felt his shoulders slump. He knew better than to try to win a battle against Daehyun’s mother based off past experiences. Heading towards the cabinet where the plates lay, he began pulling enough out for each person. She smiled and patted him on the head when he passed by. 

Dinner was delicious. Daehyun and his father had arrived home exhausted from chopping wood in preparation for the colder season to come, and Daehyun had been extremely excited at the sight of the meal set up in front of him. He had drooled and Youngjae had smacked him on the arm, telling him to wipe his mouth before he got saliva on the floor.

It had been a little crowded as Daehyun’s family plus an additional Youngjae and Himchan surrounded the small circular table, but it had been a nice evening regardless. The two young toddlers sat between their parents getting scolded whenever they played with their food. 

Daehyun’s father turned towards Himchan as the latter leaned back onto the wooden chair, belly certainly filled to the brim. 

“Himchan. Youngjae’s father asked me to fill you in about the job details. The general of Dunwich is looking for a temporary stable boy for the fall season. Apparently the original stable boy had gotten injured and now they’re in dire need of one. You have some experience with horses yes?”

Himchan nodded, frowning. Dunwich was a bit far to take a job for his liking, and a job spanning the whole length of Autumn would be the longest he’d ever take up. He would have to be away- give or take three whole months. Three months, roughly ninety days really wasn’t that long in the grand scheme of things. However, at the same time compared to the other weekly jobs he took, three months could seem like an eternity especially since he was going to be away from everything he was used to. Taking this job would mean he would be away from Briggs, and away from Reiara.

“One of his soldiers stopped by the Wild Gazelle, bringing news of the job. The pay sounds swell, about one hundred and fifteen silver coins a week. He has to know by tonight though, he leaves before the sun rises tomorrow.” He explained, pushing up the small round spectacles that sat on his nose. 

Himchan’s eyes widened and he looked up at Daehyun and Youngjae to see similar looks of surprise as well. Daehyun let out a low whistle in appreciation along with a head nod. A hundred and fifteen silver coins per week? That was _more_ than a swell deal. He usually got eighty-two silver coins on average per week depending on what kind of job he got. 

The dark haired boy’s mind raced, Dunwich was far. It lay northeast of Mirstone and would take at least a week and half to get there by foot if the weather was good. 

“If you have your answer now I was planning to go down to The Wild Gazelle as I do have some business to attend to there.” Daehyun’s father spoke up. 

Himchan hesitated, worrying the bottom of his lip. He had to decide now. He didn’t exactly like the idea of taking a job so far out for such a long time, especially since he didn’t personally know what sort of person the general of Dunwich was. 

But at the same time, Himchan was running out of money and was in desperate need of a new job. The mean old landlady had knocked on his door for this month’s rent while he was out. And although she was a smidge softer on him compared to the others, for she had personally known Himchan’s parents as they had a good reputation of always paying the rent on time, the nineteen year old boy knew better than to take advantage of that. 

_Beggars couldn’t exactly be choosers now could they?_ Himchan thought to himself.

“I’ll take it.” Himchan answered, firmly nodding.

After thanking Daehyun’s mother for the meal, Himchan headed home to the small cottage about a block away where he and his parents had once lived in all together before they had passed away. 

Trotting down a small set of stairs, Himchan unlocked the door and entered the humble abode.

“I’m home.” He softly called out. 

The familiarly eerie sound of silence was the only reply. Himchan stared into the dark house, lit only by the moonlight that poured through the windowsill. He suddenly felt very empty as he thought of Daehyun’s house, which was full of warmth, laughter and joy. 

Himchan had never gotten the chance to meet his father. As a child, he had asked his mother a number of questions about his dad but her lack of response and the way she would clam up and fall into a distracted numb state for the rest of the day scared the young boy, so eventually he stopped asking. He was young but very perceptive and not wanting to bring his mother any sadness, he quickly learned to avoid the subject at all costs.

Years later, when Himchan was fifteen, his mother fell ill. Both Daehyun and Youngjae’s parents had invited Himchan to live with them after his mother had passed away, but the dark haired boy had declined refusing to be a bother. 

He knew both families had no qualms about adopting him into their family, but Himchan knew that both had enough to worry about with the amount of children they had and Himchan hadn’t wanted to be another burden to stress about.

Himchan sighed, slapping himself out of his own stupor. The silence of his own house no longer made his chest tear itself into pieces, but every once in a while the loneliness would worm its way into the nineteen year old boy’s chest. He set his keys down onto the side stand, slipping out of his leather boots.

That night, as Himchan crawled into his bed, hair damp from the bath, he tossed and turned unable to find a comfortable position to sleep in. His mind was whirling with a thousand different thoughts. It had most definitely been an eventful day. 

His thoughts whirled back to his pointy-eared friend. Himchan couldn’t fathom being in the younger’s situation, and in many aspects, Jongup was right. He was lucky in the manner that he could do whatever he wanted, when he wanted. Himchan switched jobs on a daily basis. Being a human meant he had no “path” to force himself to dedicate the rest of his life to. There was a sense of freedom to it all, not being tied down to anything. Not to say that certain humans didn’t feel a draw to certain occupations, but for elves it seemed to be more of an innate feeling. 

According to Jongup, something stemmed from within and if you didn’t heed the call, it could leave you feeling empty, restless and completely withdrawn from the world around you. Hence the reason why Jongup often felt the need to escape- the need to dance consumed him and dancing his heart out helped keep those feelings at bay. It was getting harder now though, the closer he got to the age where he was required to choose his path, the stronger the call to dance became. 

But what Jongup hadn’t realized was that- it also meant that Himchan’s existence in a way, was very much irrelevant. He lived life taking any job anyone would offer him. He survived week by week. 

Himchan could disappear, could die and all his employers would do was strike a mournful face at the depressing news before turning away to hire someone else. He was unimportant and easily replaceable, simple as that.

Jongup, unlike Himchan was not easily replaceable. From the bits and pieces the younger elf had revealed about his life, the dark haired boy had managed to put together an idea of how important the elf was in his community. 

Jongup was heavily relied upon when his parents were gone in another village, and the responsibility he had was no joke. He remembered Jongup telling him just how strict his father was and how he demanded that the platinum hair boy take his health studies seriously, so seriously that the elf had once brought a taxing medical book to the clearing.

In a way, Himchan understood a small part of it. Jongup’s parents were strict because they only wanted the best for their son. They knew the potential that their son had and wanted to make sure that he lived up to it. The dark haired boy missed that sort of guidance, a parental figure who worried about their child. It was ironic, to miss that sort of strict nagging that he once so abhorred himself.

Himchan’s mother had been adamant about her son getting a scholarly education when he was younger. He had sat through the sermons, the incessant droning of the professor lulling him to sleep. He soon realized how easy it was to skip.

Once his mom found out however, she had yelled at him and the argument had ended with broken vases and Himchan screaming back at his mother to disappear just like his father had. His mother had looked so crushed and distraught at that, it had taken a week before she uttered even a single word back to Himchan. 

She forgave him, and things went back to normal. However, it was a month and a week later when she fell ill with a deadly disease. She passed away just one week later.

After that, Himchan could no longer bring himself to attend the scholarly lessons, let alone leave the house. He knew it was no way his fault, but at the same time he couldn’t help remembering what he had screamed at her just one month earlier. 

On top of that, he couldn’t ignore the nagging voice in his head that told him if he had taken school far more seriously- perhaps he could have saved her. He would’ve been smarter and he would’ve earned more money. Perhaps he could’ve afforded medicine. 

Daehyun and Youngjae had visited him often, taking turns cooking something for the dark haired boy to eat before he perished or shoving him into the shower because he started to smell like rotten garbage. 

(Himchan at the time denied ever smelling horribly. Youngjae had clucked his tongue along with a well known English proverb, “a pig never smells its own stink” before dragging him out of bed and shoving him into the bathing room in response.)

It was at least a month and a half later before it occured to Himchan that his rent was probably overdue. Upon bumping into the landlady, he learned that two of his young friends that came by frequently had already paid for it. 

That’s when Himchan finally got back on track, realizing that he couldn’t wallow in his grief forever. Contacting different towns people he had worked for during his spare time, Himchan began to work full time to pay back Daehyun and Youngjae. 

Although young, Jongup had seemed to realize the amount of responsibility he had and the amount of people that relied on him to continue the legacy of the Moon healers. And so for months, he had been trying to follow the pre-planned path under the pretense that it was healing that called to him.

But the pressure and the devastation had taken a toll on the young elf and he had finally broken down.

Himchan closed his eyes, the exhaustion from today’s events suddenly crashing into him. He couldn’t help the jealous pang that shot through his chest when he thought about the elf’s ability to heal. To Jongup, it was a curse. But what the dark haired boy would have done to be blessed with such a gift, to be able to save his own mother from the grasp of death- Himchan would have traded his soul to the devil for it without a second thought.

As jealous as he felt, Himchan also felt oddly protective. Behind closed eyelids he could still see the poor elf’s crying expression, and even just the thought of it made the human boy’s chest clench with agony. Tears and pain did not suit Jongup, Himchan decided.

The dark haired boy turned onto his side, straight nose tucking into the plush pillow. The familiar smell lulled his breathing into a sweet, slow, steady pace. 

He didn’t really want to go to Dunwich. Himchan knew the decision had been rushed and he would have been lying if he said he didn’t regret it, but in truth the only thing this job could do was benefit him, and the higher pay alone made it more than worth his while. 

Himchan couldn’t pinpoint the moment he fell asleep, as nobody ever could but that night, he dreamt of a platinum haired figure dancing above a pond in the distance. He glided over it, heels and toes creating soft ripples within the water. The dream was peaceful and calm, and the dancing boy was free, weightless like the puffs of a dandelion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't said this yet but I'm really thankful for my editor. She keeps my insane run-on sentences at bay, and helps me out when I'm having a real brain fart whether it's description, a particular phrase or the plot. Thanks to my friend Rhee as well, who's always there for me when I'm feeling insecure about my stories. I love the both of you!
> 
> Anyways, so here's a little more insight in Himchan's life! His backstory and yada, yada! A small appearance from the amazing daejae duo, and for all you daejae fans out there I _am_ thinking of writing a oneshot for them in this world.....but that's when I finish this story! 
> 
> Did ya'll like the ending? I love seeing authors insert their title into the story somehow, it always makes me giddy!  
>  **What did you think of this chapter? Please let me know in the comments! :)**
> 
>  
> 
> **OH YEAH...also I made this[super cool edit cover photo](https://67.media.tumblr.com/498440c8a18cdec852fea4346b4ea245/tumblr_o8yce8hPpR1v1uyd1o1_500.png) for this fic! **


	4. Bloom; part 4

Jongup flomped onto the towel he had laid on top of the meadow after his swim, grabbing another one from the pile that he had brought- in case Himchan wanted to join- to wrap around his toned frame. 

It had been around five days since his meltdown and Jongup had felt lighter than he had in a while. He hadn’t realized the magnitude of the stress that had built up over time. Concealing the fact that he wanted to become a dancer was affecting him physically and mentally in different ways, and it took a toll on him much more than he had originally realized.

The platinum haired elf watched the older boy drift in the middle of the pond. His eyes were closed in relaxation. Himchan’s pale skin shone and glistened as bits of clear water ran over protruding collarbones, diverting into tiny streams across his firm chest.

Curiously, Jongup’s eyes slid down towards the dark haired boy’s stomach until it dipped lower into the water. The water at the top was quite translucent so the younger could see the small belly button on Himchan’s stomach. Jongup grinned. His grin faltered when his eyes lowered towards enticing hipbones and the elf’s mouth suddenly became very dry. 

The sight ended there, with the older’s brown shorts popping above the water, bloated with air. All of a sudden Jongup felt flustered. He looked away and laid his head down on his bent knees and closed his eyes in an attempt to keep the blush from rising from his neck to his cheeks. 

Himchan opened his eyes. The water was starting to feel chilly and the smell of algae assaulted his nose. He dove once again under, allowing him to sink near the bottom of the river pond. The dark haired boy watched with fascination at the thousands of tiny bubbles of oxygen that wiggled and rose to the surface. The bright sun shone through the murky water and Himchan admired the reflections of light that bounced across his skin like electricity. 

Shooting towards the surface, he gasped, his lungs taking in the much needed air. Himchan found that he enjoyed swimming, loved the feel of the cool water against his skin. He didn’t get to do it often, as there wasn’t really a lake nearby his house but since he found this clearing and became friends with Jongup the opportunity to go swimming presented itself more often. Himchan’s mood sank when he remembered that soon he would be leaving this small haven that he had with Jongup for a job that was far away.

The wind bit at his cheeks and neck as he swam towards the edge of the pond. Where as earlier the water had been refreshing, the wind above quickly turned the water cold and Himchan found himself unable to adjust to the chilly pond water. Pushing himself out, Himchan shivered when another cold gust of air hit him. He could already feel the goosebumps rising along the fair hairs of his arms. Briskly walking over to the elf, he picked up a neatly folded towel, quickly wiping the water running down his body before sitting next to the elf. 

Jongup opened his eyes, head still resting on the top of his knees, watching as Himchan wrapped another fluffy towel around his body, and used the damp one to ruffle his hair. 

“Say, my mother has been wanting to make some blueberry pie recently.” Jongup spoke up, gazing at a lazy cloud that was floating by.

Himchan glanced up at him. “Oh really?”

“Yeah, so the day after tomorrow I was going to head out to the woods to pick some berries. I know a good spot, it’s not too far from here, I was wondering if you’d like to join…” Jongup asked, voice trailing off when he saw the other’s face darken. 

Himchan’s vigorous rubbing had slowed to a stop, and his jaw had tightened. He still hadn’t said anything about the job he’d accepted to Jongup. The whole day he had been looking for a good opportunity to bring it up but seeing the elf happily splashing around in the river had sidetracked him. Besides it wouldn’t have been the moment that Himchan wanted to bring the news up, he wouldn’t have wanted to put a damper on the elfs mood. 

On the assumption that him leaving would faze his friend. _Of course it would right?_ Himchan thought to himself, they were friends and they enjoyed each other’s company.

 

“Himchan?” Jongup timidly asked, the lack of response and sudden drop in the atmosphere worried him. The dark haired boy turned to him, gaze sullen.

“Jonguppie. I actually…I accepted a new job.” 

“Oh? Well that’s good! You scared me for a minute.” Jongup joked, although he still felt uneasy. The look the other was giving him seemed too serious for having just accepted a job. He raised his hand to smack the other on the arm.

Himchan winced. That had been an unusually harder slap than normal. Was the elf nervous? 

“Yeah, it’s not bad. The pay is really good. A hundred fifty-two silver coins a month.” 

Jongup’s mouth dropped into a large O in amazement. “That’s great…what will you be doing this time?”

“Taking care of horses. I have some experience with them…but I haven’t worked as a full time stable boy before.” Himchan said, thoughtfully. 

The elf stretched out his arms, straightening his back and Himchan’s eyes followed the arch of the smooth spine. Jongup’s skin- normally fair, had taken a warmer tan over the summer. It now glimmered like light honey and if Jongup had noticed how Himchan’s gaze seemed to linger on his skin longer than necessary, he never said anything. 

“Horses…they seem so wild. Wild and free. I want to ride one, one day.” 

Jongup drifted into his thoughts. _What would life be like if he was a horse? What would his biggest worry be?_ It would certainly be simpler than this right? No one to tell him what to do, no paths to choose, no feeling like no matter what choice he choose he would be inevitably disappointing someone.

“It’s in Dunwich.” Himchan said suddenly. It took a moment for the elf to realize what Himchan was referring to.

“The job?” Jongup’s brows knitted. The older boy nodded, staring ahead at the glistening river. 

“Dunwich.” the elf echoed. “That’s…”

“Far. Yeah I know.” Himchan finished, glumly. 

“How long will you be there?” Jongup wondered staring into Himchan’s dark coal eyes. “We could always go berry picking another day, you know, after you’re back.”

Himchan looked away, unable to keep eye contact with the other. 

“Until winter.” 

Jongup’s eyes widened and the air in his chest got stuck. His heart plummeted. Silence descended and for a moment it seemed like everything was frozen in time. The wind stopped blowing, the blades of grass stood still. The elf could no longer hear the rush of the waterfall. Instead, his ears began ringing and his heart began pounding again but in despair. Jongup opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. 

Summer was ending, it wasn’t even officially autumn yet and Himchan was going to be gone until winter? Himchan looked over to Jongup, heart plummeting at the stunned expression the other wore. 

“Oh.” The elf breathed out, spirit deflating. The light and happy mood he had been carrying the past couple days was suddenly whisked away and in its place was a heavy empty feeling.

“That’s give or take…three months.” Jongup suddenly looked so small and sad, knees burrowed into his chest. 

A pang of guilt tugged at the older’s heart and he nodded in response. Himchan hated the way Jongup’s lips, normally plump and pulled back into a brilliant smile were turned downwards. The dark haired boy did however, feel a small bit of relief at the fact that the elf was sad that he would be leaving. It told the older that Jongup had enjoyed his presence just as much as Himchan had enjoyed his.

Himchan leaned closer to the younger. He almost wanted to…wanted to what? 

Breaking himself out of another one of his stupors, he silently reached out and touched the top of the other’s hand. Sliding his own palm over and under, he firmly looped his fingers between the others and closed it into a tight grasp.

Jongup looked up at the older boy, surprised. When the expression disappeared, he closed his grasp as well clutching Himchan’s hand tightly, face and cheeks feeling a little warm. Jongup’s palm was plush and the skin on top of his hand was silky soft as Himchan’s thumb rubbed small soothing circles in attempt to comfort the other boy. Although at this point, Himchan wasn’t exactly sure whether he was comforting Jongup or trying to comfort himself.

Jongup shuddered at the repetitive motion. Himchan’s hands were rough and calloused from years of hard work. He scooted closer to the dark haired boy so that his hip was pressing against the others.

Looking down at their intertwined hands, Jongup couldn’t help but feel sad. Himchan getting a well paid job was great, but the job was so far away. The elf should’ve felt happy for him but instead all he could feel was sadness for himself. His confidant, his source of comfort- the person he had come to rely on was going away. He would be gone for three months, and in three months everything could change. 

What if Himchan decided that he liked it better in Dunwich? What if he stayed, and never returned? What if he forgot about Jongup over the season, and never came back to see him? The possibilities were endless.

“When do you leave?” Jongup whispered, hoping that they at least had some time left before Himchan departed.

“…In two days.” Himchan whispered as if the quieter tone would soften the blow.  
The wind settled, the branches of the great oak tree stopping to a still. Heavy clouds hid the setting sun and a resilient orange spewed across the broad sky- the beautiful sight doing nothing to lift the sudden emptiness in Jongup’s chest.

❋ / ❋ / ❋

Himchan stood up, back aching and groaning as he straightened his spine. Releasing a grunt, he let the brush he was holding clatter to the floor as he stretched. He really needed to take breaks more often. But once he got into the work zone sort of mind frame, it was hard to stop. After all, the faster he did his work the earlier he would finish.

It had taken about a week and a half to travel here. As spectacular as Mirstone was with its glowing crystal lights, Himchan found that a certain number of wealthy citizens preferred to live in Dunwich. The simplicity and green grassy spaciousness of the town had a very different feel to the surreal city of Mirstone and almost mirrored some of the meadows in Reiara.

Living in Dunwich was least to say, expensive. Luckily, the job Himchan got hired for provided a small roomy cabin to stay in while he worked there. 

The general who had hired him was a robust man with a strong jaw. He spent most of his days training soldiers who wanted to enter the royal army or the king’s guard. Thus there were many different barns housing at least forty horses and Himchan thanked whatever gods that lived up above the ground that he was just one of the dozen stable boys. 

Himchan was in charge of the fourth stable filled with six different horses. The first week had left him more than exhausted as he tried to quickly pick up how things were done here. Thankfully, it didn’t take him as long since he did have a bit of experience on how to care for horses.

He now realized exactly why the job pay was so high, for he was certainly working for each and every coin. The dark haired boy woke up at five in the morning sharp- when the sun wasn’t even out yet and the cold air bit at the tip of his nose- to begin his day’s work. He started off with some of the more pleasant tasks, which included things like brushing and trimming the horses’ coats to improve their appearances. These task were so monotone and repetitive that Himchan found himself running on autopilot, his mind wandering to his friends and what they could be doing at home.

Some of the more disagreeable jobs included washing and clearing out the stables of dung- which every horse seemed to bless Himchan with on a daily basis. He would finish cleaning out one stall, move on to the next only to find that ten minutes later, the previously cleaned stall was now graced with another pile of shit. Himchan literally felt like the horses were doing this on purpose, getting amusement out of his frustrations.

Himchan had decided to name that horse that did this the most Youngjae. He had given the Youngjae-horse a deadpan stare and the horse had haughtily snorted back, swaying his butt and stamping his back feet as if mocking him. Coincidentally, (or not so coincidentally, Himchan had considered the possibility that the auburn haired boy actually died and this horse was Yoo Youngjae himself reincarnated) the horse’s mane shone a brilliant auburn color as well.

Not all moments of caring for horses were horrible however. One of Himchan’s favorite times included exercising the horses. Riding horses was an adrenaline-charged experience that Himchan was sure Jongup would enjoy. 

He would have whatever horse he was riding start out with a trot. The bouncing motion was pleasant, but when Himchan nudged the back of his heels into the thighs of the horse, the staccato motion transformed into a smooth wave of exhilaration as the horse escalated into a full out run.

At the end of the day, Himchan would collapse onto his cot after a refreshing warm bath, so exhausted he would fall asleep even before his head hit the pillow. This is how the first two weeks went, and Himchan quickly got used to the steady pace of the job.

❋ / ❋ / ❋ 

After a whole month, Himchan had learned a couple of other things.

First, the cot in the small cabin he slept in finally stopped feeling lumpy around his lower spine after he had stuffed additional feathers in it.

Second, each horse in the stable reminded Himchan of people he knew back at home. There was the insufferable Youngjae-horse, but there was also a strong and steady Yongguk, a friendly cheery Daehyun who nuzzled anybody and everybody, and a quietly mellow Jongup. The Jongup-horse had more of a white hue to it than a platinum, but the dark haired boy figured that it was similar enough.

The white hue also meant that dirt on the horse’s smooth yet coarse fur stood out more easily and Himchan reasoned that it was because of that, that he spent more time brushing the Jongup-horse’s sparkling coat. He just wanted the horse to be clean. That was his job, after all.

Himchan totally did not have major flashbacks to threading his fingers through the elf’s silky hair when detangling the knots in the white horses’ mane after whipping around in the wind because of a long run. At least that was what he told himself.

The third thing that he learned was about the general. Although he had the reputation of being a very strict and stern man when it came to training the soldiers, outside of that he was an ambitious man who was friendly with every one. His rowdiness could be humorous and like any father, he had a soft spot for his daughters. He loved them dearly and fussed over them like there was no tomorrow. He lived to see them happy and there was very little he wouldn’t do to ensure that they were well cared for and content.

Himchan had been cleaning the hooves of a particularly tall horse. On average each horse was about the size of fourteen hands but this horse in particular grew to be a startling size of seventeen hands. The dark haired stable boy had been surprised to learn that that horse was the youngest, and was perhaps still growing.

The general had entered, standing off to the side as he watched Himchan work. The tall horse’s leg was stuck between Himchan’s thighs, and he bent over with a brush, swiping out a piece of almost dried feces stuck in the crevice. 

Releasing the horses’ leg, Himchan straightened up, wincing as his back muscles protested in pain once again. He had forgotten to take a break. 

“Sir. What can I do for you today?” Himchan asked, saluting. 

The stable boy didn’t know whether it was required for him to salute, as he wasn’t a soldier, but the general was his boss and he figured better safe than sorry. 

The general nodded slowly looking from horse to horse. Himchan did his job well. He rolled up the cuffs of his thick coat, made for the chilly days coming ahead. 

“My daughters are heading out to a picnic with their suitors.” He began. 

_Isn’t it sort of too cold to have a picnic?_ Himchan wondered, but decided that it was in his best interested to keep his thoughts to himself.

“Unfortunately, the postilion had come down with the flu. The coachman has requested me to find someone to fill the spot. They leave in an hour, enough time for you to change into appropriate clothing.”

Himchan was startled- and hesitant. He didn’t have much experience in being a postilion. In fact, he didn’t have any at all. All he knew was that they kept the horses on track and rode to the left of the horses pulling the carriage. 

The general must have sensed his hesitance, and he let out a throaty chuckle. “No worries, follow the coachman’s orders and you will be fine!”

Himchan struggled to keep a frown off his face. “Sir, it is a wonderful opportunity, however I still have much cleaning to do.” The dark haired boy voiced, gesturing to the other four horses whose horseshoes still most likely had feces stuck between the cracks. 

The general looked at the horses, and back at Himchan. “Aye. I shall find somebody to take over. You have worked hard, take this as an opportunity to rest, Himchan.”

With no further excuses, the dark haired boy could see no reason to reject the general. 

Before the general left he had reminded him to retrieve some calvary jackboots from the soldiers warehouse less a nearing horse’s body crashed into his leg. Himchan would be useless, unable to work if he got injured. The stable boy quickly thanked him and headed off towards his cabin to wash up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Sorry for the late update, I got too busy and didn't get to post yesterday!  
> Lmao I've also been working on another Himup oneshot idea....it's not crazy slow build slow burn like this and Himchan is definitely louder and sassier in it! Please look forward to it! 
> 
> Please leave a comment and lemme know what you think! You have no idea how much feedback motivates me! :)


	5. Bloom; part 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Himchan reminisces about the first time he met Jongup while he's at the picnic. Jongup faces the ongoing struggle and pressure to become something he doesn't want to become.

The coachman who directed the carriage was a burly fat man who never seemed to shut up. He talked about anything and everything.

Himchan tuned him out after a while, nodding every now and then when the coachman looked over at him. 

The dark haired boy shivered, readjusting the cotton made scarf so it wrapped more snugly around his neck. 

Although Himchan had initially been very reluctant to go along with the general’s daughters and their suitors, he did find that the change of pace lifted his spirits and it put him in a good mood. The sky was gray and cloudy, the trees shedding much of its flame colored leaves. The change of scenery was more than pleasant.

He had opted to bring his favorite horse, the white stallion he named after Jongup. The Jongup-horse steadily trotted to the front left of the carriage, guiding the other horses so that they all headed into the same direction. 

“Stable boy! Are you listening?” 

The nineteen year old was suddenly jolted out of his reverie, head whipping to the plump man. Were they nearing the destination? The coachman shook his head, releasing one hand off the reigns to shrug and sigh to himself.

“Boy, if you are this clueless everyday…” He muttered. Himchan’s eyebrows knit in confusion. 

“I apologize sir…what were you saying?” 

The jolly man’s eyes crinkled into a smile. “I was just saying, the general’s daughters and the suitors,” he began, leaning forward to whisper. Himchan slowed his horse to trot side by side the coachman.

“…What about them?” The dark haired boy asked, not entirely sure where the gossipy older man was going with this. 

“Seems to me that the brothers are both smitten for the younger sister.” The coachman nodded, rubbing his gray mustache. 

Himchan glanced at the door of the carriage, behind them. The coachman spoke as if the stable boy was the only human within earshot. The window of the carriage was indeed closed, but Himchan thought the wooden wall between them looked thin. 

The stable boy turned back to the front. “…I have not noticed.” Himchan spoke up when he noticed the coachman waiting for a reply. The plump man tsked in response, telling Himchan that he ought to be more perceptive if he wanted to be successful in life. 

The dark haired boy looked away, towards the myriad of trees they were passing as they followed the dirt road. It wasn’t that Himchan was clueless. In reality, he was normally perceptive, he just wasn’t nosy like the coachman. The windows to the carriage were closed for a reason and the people inside had nothing to do with Himchan. Their conversations and secrets were their own. The dark haired boy tuned out the coachman again as the older began to ramble on about other things. 

After twenty minutes they arrived to an open clearing. The grass was patchy, but the many yellow, orange and red leaves created a plush illusion of softness to the ground. The carriage rolled to a stop and a girl with blonde hair cracked open the window so she could pop her head out of it. 

“We’re here!” She squealed. The door to the carriage opened and two boys hopped out, one after the other. They looked identical, about the age of eighteen. They both turned back and each held out a hand to the blonde haired girl who currently hid her giggles behind her own delicate hand. Flattered, she took both of their gloved hands and jumped down onto the leafy ground, dress poofing out. She quickly smoothed down her dress, cheeks red and she giggled in embarrassment. The suitors laughed as well.

All while this had been happening, another girl with brown hair had been awkwardly standing at the door of the carriage waiting for someone to help her down. 

Himchan watched this scene with vague interest. The coachman had been absolutely right, the two suitors were both so smitten with the younger sister they had almost forgotten about the brunette haired girl. Feeling pity for the girl, he strode over and lent out his hand.

She looked down into his eyes in surprise, then relief. Gently taking Himchan’s hand, she jumped down. 

“Thank you.” She spoke, in a small voice. Himchan nodded in response, before turning away to tend to his horse. 

Himchan settled down near the largest tree possible, away from the other company to give them privacy. The coachman had wandered away, complaining about his small bladder. 

He had taken the opportunity to sit in the shade to relax. Closing his eyes, he could almost imagine being at the clearing he and Jongup met at. The only thing that seemed to be missing was the lack of rushing water. 

Himchan found his thoughts wondering to the elf and trying to remember what he looked like behind the darkness of his lids. A month had gone by since he had seen the seventeen year old, and the dark haired boy could only pull certain features into mind. 

_Like the curve of Jongup’s nose._ It sloped down, the bridge hooking into a dip before making a distinct curve down to his nostrils. To the left side of the center of the bridge sat a small mole. Himchan loved that beauty mark, it made him smile.

Himchan also liked to look at Jongup’s lips. The bottom lip was a fraction of a size plumper than the top. He didn’t have a prominent cupid’s bow like Himchan, but the swooping curve of the top of his lips that slid down only to curve back up when he smiled did strange things to the stable boy’s chest.

The dark haired boy laughed when he thought about the day he had met Jongup. 

_Himchan stood at the door outside of Yongguk’s cabin, clutching the soggy package in his uninjured hand. The latter had opened the door due to the dark haired boy’s incessant knocking, and his jaw had dropped when he laid eyes upon a damp Himchan, soaked from head to toe._

_“What happened to you?” Yongguk asked, after a moment of silence._

_Himchan didn’t reply. What had happened indeed? He wasn’t even sure himself._

_Yongguk shook his head. “Stay here, I’m going to get a towel. Don’t come in unless you want to clean the puddles yourself.” He added, shuffling away._

_Himchan nodded, too overwhelmed to roll his eyes. He had been utterly speechless, and he still was. He blinked, and his mind wandered back to the moment Jongup had healed him. Throughout the entire encounter, his tongue had been stuck in his throat and stayed that way for a good fifteen minutes._

_Himchan had come from his homeland, the Briggs to deliver a specific leatherbound parchment for Yongguk. Usually Yongguk visited the cobble shaped town but he had gotten a letter that Yongguk was too busy to leave his desk and had requested that it be delivered this time. He had set out early in the morning and in his haste to be punctual, he had actually left too early and arrived there hours before he needed to. But he figured that was for the better._

_Yongguk had specified that he would be in a meeting until sundown. So Himchan had wandered, knowing that it was probably a horrible idea in case he got lost, but his limbs were itchy and so against his better judgement he had entered a beaten path that led him into the woods. He figured as long as he had followed the path he would be fine._

_As usual, Himchan was wrong._

_After twenty minutes of wandering, the meadow began to stretch and weave over the pebble filled walkway and after forty minutes; Himchan finally admitted to himself that he was lost. He had begun to follow a river, both the sound and scenery calming his soul as nature always seemed to do. He pushed away long branches to reveal a clearing below him, like none he had ever seen before. The river crashed down, cascading into a small waterfall, gushing into a giant pond. At the edge of the pond was a large Oak tree, gently waving its leaves back and forth as if it were dancing._

_And then glittering platinum had caught his eye. Down in the midst of the clearing was a boy. He moved with a natural eloquence that filled Himchan’s chest with wonder. His limbs seemed to meld with nature, and when he whirled to the left, a gush of wind blew along and the long strands of grass flowed in union as well._

_The boy stopped, opening his eyes to trudge towards the great Oak tree. He wore brown leggings that only hugged sculpted legs and a loose top that billowed in the breeze. He squatted down, and Himchan’s lips parted, eyes wide. He was greeted with the tempestuous sight of the boy’s loose shirt riding up. It exposed the smooth pale skin of his lower back._

_Himchan gulped. And then as luck would have it he somehow fell._

_So preoccupied with the enchanting scene in front of him, the dark haired boy had slipped from the top of the waterfall. With an undignified yell he had plunged ass first into the valley of sudsy water. He tumbled through the current, trying to grasp for footing, slipping twice before he shot above the water and pulled himself out onto the pebbled filled edge._

_Himchan was brought back to reality when a thick cotton towel hit him smack in the face._

_“Ow, what was that for!” Himchan whined._

_“Pay attention to when people talk to you! So what happened to you?” Yongguk replied, munching on a muffin._

_“I fell in a river.” Himchan grumbled. Yongguk squinted at the wet pouch the other had placed on the floor right next to him._

_“I hope you don’t mean to tell me that my parchment had fallen into the river as well.” The older dryly mouthed, already knowing the answer. Himchan’s wince confirmed it and Yongguk groaned in exasperation._

 

About an hour later, the sound of worry and protest made Himchan open his eyes.  
An angry shout jolted Himchan out of his reverie and he leaned around the tree to see what was going on. 

The young blonde girl was standing on top of the carriage on her tippy toes, trying to reach and pick something out of the tree. Her older sister stood at the bottom of the carriage, a look of worry etched on her face.

“Minhee! Get down from there! You’re going to fall!” the brunette yelled up to her younger sister. Minhee rolled her eyes. 

“Don’t worry Sunhwa. Stop being such a worry wart! Come up here and join me, there are chestnuts up here!” She answered brightly, straining to tug on a branch. 

“Minhee, father is going to be very angry when I tell him about this.” Sunhwa threatened, fists balling up. Minhee glared down at her in response. 

“This is why nobody likes you. You’re just no fun. Learn to live a little!”

Sunhwa’s expression only tightened. She clenched and unclenched her hands. Then she began to climb up the ladder of the side of the carriage. 

Himchan frowned, getting up. The suitors were nowhere in sight. Neither was the coachman. It wasn’t exactly the stable boy’s place to order the general’s daughters to stop what they were doing but standing on top of the carriage that horses were still attached to wasn’t exactly the brightest idea. It was an accident waiting to happen.

Sunhwa climbed on top, lifting up her thick dress. She grabbed her sister’s arm. 

“Come on, come down now.” Her sister jerked back, pulling her arm away from her older sister’s grasp. A couple of the chestnuts Minhee had gathered bounced off the carriage and rolled off the edge.

The two suitors suddenly entered the clearing with the coachman in tow. The plump man was sweating and blubbering about how he had most certainly thought the clearing was to the east. Apparently he had gotten lost. The brothers looked up to the two girls standing on top of the carriage.

“Minhee! We can see your panties!” One of the brothers shouted as he approached the carriage. 

This was impossible, as both girls were wearing long dresses and there wasn’t a breeze in sight, but Minhee looked flustered and startled. 

She released her hold on all the chestnuts she had gathered, and they all tumbled down like raindrops, scattering in dozens of different directions. By the time she had realized her underwear couldn’t have been seen, Minhee had taken a step back and tripped over her long dress. 

It all happened in slow motion.

Minhee was falling over the edge, back towards the ground. Sunhwa had lunged forward to try and catch her sister- except now she was falling too. The twin brothers had stupidly lunged for the same girl, smashing their heads against each other. The two had somehow managed to catch her though, despite the mishap.

But Sunhwa was still falling, eyes shut tightly ready for the rough impact that would most likely scrape her arms. Himchan slid forward, catching the brunette just in time before she hit the ground. The skin of his bottom felt raw from the collision against the dirt even through the leggings he wore. 

The brunette opened her eyes, blinking in confusion. Her hair had slid out of it’s up do and was loosely bound by her hairclips. Her breath fluttered and she grew incredibly pink at the close proximity to Himchan, who was now wincing in pain. 

Minhee ran over to her sister, concern and guilt settling on her features. Her eyes were wide and the brim was wet with tears. The two suitors sat a foot away, reeling from the impact they had donned on each other.

“Sunhwa! Are you okay?” Minhee reached out, shaking her sister. Sunhwa shot upwards, nearly hitting Himchan’s jaw. She got off the dark haired boy’s lap, and turned to face him. She sat on her knees, dress getting filthier than it already was.

“I-I, uhm, thank you!” the brunette stuttered, pink and unable to look Himchan directly in the eyes. 

Himchan shook his head. “It’s no problem…are you okay?” He voiced while getting up to brush the dirt off his black leggings. Minhee looked timidly from the boy to her sister, lips still turned down from obvious guilt.

Himchan stook his hand out to help the brown haired girl. Sunhwa nodded, cheeks still brilliantly pink as she took his hand. 

She then turned towards her sister and huffed. “Well then, let’s head back…today has been exhausting.” Her younger sister did not protest this time, bending over to pack up their belongings from the picnic.

❋ / ❋ / ❋

Jongup stared at his father’s hooked nose. It was really the only resemblance that they shared. The whole room was silent, the tension palpable and the elf had no idea how to reply to what his father had just suggested. 

They were currently sitting in the room used for healing. The other few chosen apprentices had gathered today as well, as Jongup’s father was going to be teaching everyone how to fuse two bones back together. Something Jongup had already learned and done, so he didn’t quite understand why he was sitting in the room anyways. 

Officially, he wasn’t supposed to be attending these lessons at all, not until he had named his path at the ceremony and the Elders had deemed it appropriate. But as the head healer and a man who wouldn’t take no for an answer, Jongup’s father seemed to bend the rules and regulations when it suited him. And so, he had told Jongup it was mandatory for him to attend these lessons as well.

Jongup had been sort of paying attention. But when his father had volunteered his own son as the first to try to demonstrate how fusing two bones together should be done, the elf had came back to reality and had stared at the broken deer bone, and then at his father in confusion. The other older students either let out a sigh or pursed their lips in dislike. 

Jongup’s father did this often. Giving the opportunity for his son to do the most important things when he wasn’t even considered an apprentice yet. The other apprentices thankfully understood that Jongup didn’t even want to be sitting through these lessons in the first place, so few harbored dislike towards him.

When the head healer’s assistance had suggested that perhaps it would be a good idea to let the other students try first, Jongup’s father had stiffened. He turned towards the assistance.

“I duly hope you are not insinuating that I am picking favorites because Jongup is of my own kin.” His voice, steady and intimidating. Except that was exactly what he was doing, Jongup thought to himself as he tightened his fists and gave his father a glare.

“N-no.” The assistance squeaked. “It’s just…there are only a limited amount of deer bones here. I had not accounted enough for…everybody.” He finished.

The head healer’s frown had only deepened. He was quiet for far too long and it caused a ripple of unease throughout the room. Before Jongup could say anything, his father spoke up.  
“Very well. Apprentices, line up one by one.” He finally rumbled. The whole room had inwardly and collectively sighed in relief.

❋ / ❋ / ❋

Later that night, Jongup had been walking down the stairs ruffling a towel on his head. He stopped halfway when he heard his mother’s exasperated sigh. 

“You’re already breaking the rules, he’s not even supposed to be attending those sessions, you know?”

“He’s already further than most of the apprentices! And he helps out with our business. He’s practically already a named Healer, it’s just a matter of waiting for the ceremony. The rules and regulations are ridiculous. “ Jongup’s father rumbled back, stubbornly. 

“ _I know, I know._ But they are the rules regardless. The apprentices and assistants have already brought up this issue to me before. Sooner or later they’ll take it up to the Elders.” 

Jongup’s father scoffed in response. “Let them.” He snipped. His mother chuckled in response. 

The platinum haired boy stood on the staircase, silent. His father only ever acted like a child in front of his mother. It was a rare side of him that only came out during their more intimate times, when Jongup’s mother would stroke his head and massage his shoulders.

“He’s going to be the best. And then he’ll take over my position as head healer.” His father continued, certain and proud.

Jongup’s heart sank and he suddenly felt the need to be alone. He turned and slipped upstairs into his room, closing his door quietly. Falling to the bed face first, he turned to look at the crystal dandelion that sat on the bedside table. 

The candle had long burned out and the only source of light came from the moonlight shining through the window. It hit the dandelion, casting a sort of melancholy blue tone as the millions of shining specks glimmered in the night. 

Jongup picked it up and traced the sharp yet blunt edges with the tip of his finger. 

He missed Himchan. 

Himchan who was so free and simultaneously- so far. 

Himchan, who made _him_ feel so free.

That night, Jongup fell asleep, the dandelion loosely clutched in his palm. The world was so large and Moon Jongup- a healer to-be, a student, an elf who had a calling he could not follow- felt so incredibly small.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not gonna lie, the first time I wrote that last part about Jongup missing Himchan a couple tears leaked out. It was like one in the morning and I was listening to ballad songs and I was just typing and crying. And while editing it today, my eyes were watering and in my head I was just screaming _HIMCHAN SAVE, HIM, JUST SAVE JONGUP ALREADY!!_ LMAO, I'm an emotional butthole. 
> 
> Anyways, Himchan won't be gone for that many chapters, I promise. 
> 
> As always, thanks to my editor for cleaning up my run on sentences, you always get what I'm trying to say. And thanks to everyone who comments/kudos/bookmarks this fic. It really means a lot to me! Ya'll have no idea! (; a ;)


	6. Bloom; part 6

Himchan had not noticed when the brunette had entered the stable. Earlier he had finished replacing the bales of hay (as it was always the first thing he did in the mornings) and had methodically moved on to visually inspect each horse for any mars or injury.

When he turned around, there Sunhwa was balancing on the edge of the fence next to one of the horses. She smiled at him, hesitantly and cradled a glass of tea on her lap. Slipping off the fence, she approached Himchan, holding out the cup.

“I…wanted to thank you.” She began. “Again.” She corrected herself. Himchan took the cup of tea. “I’m sorry…it got cold…I didn’t know how to get your attention.” 

Himchan shook his head. “It’s alright, thank you.” He downed it in one go, the cool liquid instantly refreshing as it hit the inside of his throat. Although it was frosty out, the drink chilled his body in a good way.

“The next time I bring a cup it’ll be warm.” Sunhwa promised softly to herself, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears. 

Himchan glanced at her and frowned. “I’m grateful for this…but there really is no need to bring me more. You’ve already expressed your thanks.” 

The brunette stumbled slightly on a loose rock in front of her and Himchan leaned forward, prepared to catch her again. Luckily, she managed to catch herself this time and she straightened back up, brushing off imaginary dirt off her dress. The stable boy gave her a weary glance and Sunhwa nervously laughed, cheeks pink in embarrassment.

“I know, but, I wanted to say thanks again anyways.” She said after a moment.

Himchan turned and picked up the rake leaning against the corner of the barn. “I only did what was normal.” Himchan replied, lips turning up.

“Normal huh…” Sunhwa’s lips tightened into a sad smile. Before Himchan could make a sound, she quickly turned around preparing to rush off. 

“Ah! I must be going, it’s almost time for breakfast.” Heading towards the door, she stopped midway. She opened her mouth, then closed it just as quickly, instead settling on giving a shy wave back to the stable boy.

 

❋ / ❋ / ❋

 

Jongup had been visiting the clearing more and more. During the past month, his parents had somehow managed to increase the pressure for him to concentrate on his medical studies.

It was as if becoming a healer was the only thing they could talk about all of a sudden. They mentioned it frequently, during breakfast, when he returned from school, during dinner and even before he went to bed at night. 

It made it harder for Jongup to sleep at night. The fear and worry constantly whirled through his mind till he was nauseous. Paranoia was starting to seep in, his thoughts getting the better of him day in and day out. Perhaps there was a reason they had steadily began to increase the amount of times they brought up the subject. Maybe they _knew_. Maybe it was a warning, and more often than not, it planted seeds of fear inside the depth of the young elf’s soul. During these panic attacks Jongup tried to refrain from going to the clearing to dance. It didn’t help though, the longer he didn’t dance, the more distressed he felt. He was suffocating from both ends and there was no relief because he couldn’t let his parents find out.

He now laid stretched out on Junhong’s bed. The taller elf stared at his best friend and frowned. Jongup had dark bags under his eyes and was paler than normal. Turning back to the front where he was facing, he picked at a speck of dirt under his nails.

“Jongup, are you alright? You look horrible.” 

When Junhong received no reply, he whipped around ready to pinch the other so Jongup wouldn’t ignore him again. Instead, he was met with the steady rise and fall of the shorter elf’s chest for Jongup had fallen asleep.

 

❋ / ❋ / ❋

 

It was only the season of fall but because Dunwich lay further north, it felt like winter was already upon them. The snow pelted the ground outside the tavern Himchan was currently sitting in. It was loud and rustic similar to The Wild Gazelle at home and it gave him a sense of familiarity and nostalgia. 

Himchan had the week off as it was the holidays, and he wished for nothing more than to visit the people dear to him. He missed some of the townspeople, the insufferable Daejae duo, and their family that had became a second family to him. He missed Yongguk, and most of all, he missed and wondered how Jongup was doing. 

Unfortunately, with the amount of time it took to travel from Briggs to Dunwich it wasn’t possible for him to take the trip home.

It wasn’t the first time he had missed them throughout the grueling months, but seeing the joy and camaraderie all around town had proliferated his lonely feeling to the point where he had decided to drown said feelings into alcohol. He now sat at the bar with either seat beside him empty, but a pleasant buzz sat in the depths of his belly.

He tried not to let his thoughts drift to all the children spending time with their parents during the holiday, or the special dinner they would be receiving tomorrow night. Most of all, the human boy tried not to think about the last time he had spent this festive holiday with his mother, when she was still alive. 

The brash thunk of a large glass filled with beer against the bar table startled Himchan out of his thoughts. The stable boy glanced up to see a friend he had made during his stay in Dunwich. 

“Himchan.” He greeted while setting his most prized possession against his chair. The man brought his guitar everywhere and loved it to the point of calling it his girlfriend. He was a musician, a talented one and he traveled from town to town. He was currently staying in Dunwich as well. 

“Hey!” Himchan responded loudly, pleasantly surprised and thrilled at the sight of company.

The musician grinned. “I’m surprised you’re here. Shouldn’t you be at home with your family for the holidays?” 

Himchan winced, mask slipping for a moment. He didn’t particularly want to dwell on the subject of family, so he shrugged, and took another sip of his own beer. 

“Didn’t get enough days off to travel back and forth in time.” If the musician had noticed the dark haired boy’s wince at the mention of family, he didn’t say anything about it and Himchan was thankful for that.

The musician frowned. “I see. You aren’t spending tomorrow night all alone though, are you?”

Himchan shook his head. “The boss’s daughter invited me to join her family for dinner…I couldn’t refuse since the general said he was expecting me.” 

A couple days back, Sunhwa had brought another cup of tea. She had begun to drop by several times a week to see how the stable boy was doing by making pleasant conversation, and like she had declared initially- the tea she had brought since the first time was always hot. It warmed Himchan’s toes and he was grateful for it.

Midway through the day, she had shyly invited him to dinner for the festive night and Himchan had shook his head, reluctant to intrude. It was a time for family to spend together and Himchan was anything but their family. Sunhwa had left looking glum, but with a certain determination set in her brown eyes. Then the very next day, the general had entered the barn with the exact same invitation, and this time Himchan had found it extremely hard to refuse, especially when the general had practically ordered for his appearance.

The musician hummed in response. Turning towards the bartender, he raised his hand to get the man’s attention. Slipping over, the bartender greeted the musician.

“What can I do for you?” 

The musician grinned. “Can I get another?” He asked, pointing down to his empty jug. The bartender nodded and hustled away. 

Turning back to face the stable boy, the musician spoke up again. “So the general’s daughter invited you? Wait, which one?” He asked, frowning. 

Himchan swished the contents of his cup around, watching the amber liquid swirl. “The older one, Sunhwa.” He replied a moment later.

The bartender gasped, popping out of thin air to intrude into their conversation. He leaned over to place a jug full of dark liquid in front of the musician. “Sunhwa? She’s cursed!” He blurted, eyes wide. 

The musician slowly nodded. “You better be careful, Himchan.” 

The stable boy looked from one to the other, confused. “Cursed?” The bartender shook his head. 

“You haven’t heard?”

Himchan pursed his lips. “Stable boys like me don’t have the time to gossip.” He mused, snorting at the wide-eyed stares he was receiving from the other two men.

“Very true. Well, I suppose I’ll fill you in. Everybody knows of it anyways. Rumor has it that her first husband-to-be fell in a deep sickness after she accepted his hand in marriage. A couple years later the second suitor who she also accepted to marry died in a carriage accident.”

“So?” Himchan looked from the bartender to the musician waiting for the punch line. 

“So _then_ , their family goes to the fortune teller- pays a crap load too- and the witch proclaimed her _cursed_.” The bartender finished, eyes still wide. 

The stable boy snorted and took another swig of the amber liquid. “Sounds more like a coincidence to me.” 

The bartender shook his head and placed one hand on Himchan’s shoulder. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you!” he sang before whisking away. 

The dark haired boy turned back to the musician and the latter shrugged, weary. “I haven’t been here long enough to know exactly what’s true or not, although I have heard about that rumor. 

Himchan leaned back against the chair and stared at the ceiling. Perhaps that was the reason none of the suitors paid Sunhwa any attention. There was nothing visibly wrong with the brunette. With high cheekbones, fair skin and an amply voluptuous body it was hard to believe that any suitor would prefer to avoid conversation with her. And now that Himchan thought back, the suitors _had_ seemed to avoid conversation solely with her, only participating when the younger sister piped in. 

A sort of pity for the poor girl settled in the dark haired boy’s gut and that night, he washed it away with another cup of beer.

 

❋ / ❋ / ❋

 

Kim Himchan stood outside on the porch of the beautifully built mansion. He had dressed for the occasion and was currently wrapped within the nicest wool button up coat he owned. 

Grabbing the doorknocker, he slammed it three times before stepping back and shoving his gloved fingers into his pockets. As he huffed, a warm puff of air visualized into the thin cold air. Four weeks till winter, till Himchan could return home. 

_Home…to my empty house, but home regardless_. Himchan thought to himself.

The regal white door swung open with a creak and the doorman invited him in. He followed one of the maids all whilst enjoying the warmth of the house and admiring the beautiful interior. A large chandelier hung low in the center of the room, glistening as it almost touched the round cedar table that lay below it. There was a vase filled with scarlet colored roses and the maid next to the doorman quickly plucked one out and tucked it into the upper pocket of Himchan’s coat. 

Himchan had taken a step back, in surprise at first and blinked at the flower. 

“Every guest invited for dinner receives one.” The maid explained, at the stable boy’s confused expression. 

Himchan nodded and the maid signaled him to follow her. They treaded down a long single hallway and the dark haired boy idly peered at a staircase that led to another portion of the house as he passed by.

Finally stopping at the entrance of the doors to what Himchan supposed led to the dining room, the maid curtsied and the stable boy nodded his thanks. Hesitating at the doorknob, Himchan sighed. He still wasn’t keen on the idea of intruding on a dinner, especially on a holiday but there was not much he could do. He couldn’t back out now.

Pushing the doors open, the loud chatter and the aroma of freshly cooked meat hit his senses and Himchan almost gave an audible groan. He stood there for a moment, basking in the warmth and scent that made his mouth fill with saliva.

He was snapped out of his little daze when he noticed that the chatter had dimmed, absolute silence filling the room. Himchan looked over and was met with the sight of the general’s family on one side of the long table. Another family sat on the opposing side, including the two suitors that had accompanied the girls to the picnic last month. 

All eyes were on him and everyone had stopped what they were doing. The stable boy self-consciously shifted around, not sure whether to step forward or backwards. To say he felt incredibly out of place would have been an understatement. Why had the general even invited him to dinner anyways? He didn’t fit in, this wasn’t where he belonged and as far as he could see, there wasn’t any of the working class around.

It was a moment and a half later right before Himchan was about to say “oh sorry, wrong room” before walking all the way back to his homey cabin when the general finally stood up and smiled. He stalked over the stable boy with a deep booming laughter.

“Welcome Himchan! Now, now, don’t be shy. Come in!” He slapped the back of Himchan with such great force the dark haired boy almost let out another audible groan that would have very much sounded more like an “oomph”.

Turning to face the other guests, the general placed both hands on Himchan’s shoulders.

“This, my friends is my most trusted stable boy. He also saved our dear Sunhwa.”

Sunhwa’s cheeks turned a pitch pinker at her fathers sudden mention and everyone around the table clapped.

Himchan shook his head vigorously waving his hands as he did so. “It wasn’t much, the boss gives me too much credit.” 

The general laughed again, and grinned. “Earnest as always eh, Himchan? Come sit!” He pushed Himchan to the empty seat next to Sunhwa. 

Sunhwa sent him a tender smile. “Hello Himchan.” 

“Hello Sunhwa.” He greeted back. The dinner table was quiet for a couple beats. 

“So Himchan, how old are you?” The stable boy looked up. The general’s wife had addressed him, voice light, silky and elegant. 

“Nineteen…twenty come spring.” The dark haired boy politely replied, voice deep as ever. 

“Do you have a wife?” She asked, azure eyes wide as she leaned over Minhee to face Himchan. Minhee turned as well, looking like a younger doppelganger as she mirrored her mother’s expression. Sunhwa stiffened and fumbled with her fork. 

Himchan almost spat out his drink at the bold and direct question. The general’s lady certainly wasn’t one to beat around the bush. He hadn’t expected that at all, not from her delicate physique and appearance.

“No.” Himchan took a sip of wine to wash down the dry turkey meat. He wiped the corner of his lips with a handkerchief and didn’t miss how Sunhwa’s gaze traced the action. 

“Oh, _well_. That’s too bad, you’re such a handsome young man!” The blue eyed mother lamented between dainty bites. She didn’t sound very apologetic. It bordered further into the tone of delight. 

“Do you have someone special at home or perhaps someone that you are interested in?” She continued.

The stable boy eyed the eager mother, keeping his expression on hold. He wasn’t sure what to think. If his gut feeling was right, the general’s lady was trying to set Himchan up with one of her daughters. The dark haired boy supposed he should feel flattered. And part of him did, but what he couldn’t understand was why. _Why him_?

Himchan was merely a part time stable boy who ran around town helping out with errands. There was not a single drop of royal blood that flowed through his veins.

He glanced over to Sunhwa who seemed to be extremely nervous, as she kept twirling the strands of her hair. Sure both Sunhwa and Minhee were appealing in every way possible, and it would have been a lie to claim that he thought they were unattractive, but Himchan wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about all this. 

The fair-headed mother tapped her index finger impatiently and Himchan remembered it was probably best not to keep her waiting. He shook his head as he thought about all the past couple of late night romps he had. None of those girls would have been considered anything other than a drunken one-night stand. 

The headshake slowed to a stop as a certain face came to mind. The downward slope of a hooked nose, and pointy ears flashed before his eyes and Himchan stopped chewing. 

Jongup was just a friend, so the dark haired boy wasn’t completely sure as to why he had suddenly popped into his mind. But remembering the elf’s silky hair and the way the strands had glittered in the shining sun, or the shape of his plump lips had Himchan’s pupils dilating more than necessary.

The stable boy glanced at Sunhwa and the light from a chandelier above reflected against her doey brown eyes. They were a similar shade to Jongup’s when the sun caught his eyes, but more often than not, the elf’s squinty gaze casted a shadow turning his eyes into raw umber. 

And when Himchan remembered those eyes of raw umber darkened with frustration and anger the last time he had danced or how they lit up like little pecans when he was curious, the lower half of his body burned with something far too inappropriate for the familial dinner he was currently sitting at.

Shaking away thoughts that led to a more dangerous path, Himchan turned his attention back to the general’s lady. She seemed to be studying him, alternating glances between her oldest daughter and the stable boy.

“Well then. I cannot see why a handsome boy such as yourself hasn’t settled down. It’s a surprise that my dear Sunhwa hasn’t either, with her graceful looks…but I suppose she has high expectations, just like me.” She finished before gently laying a hand against her husband’s bicep. The general paused his conversation with the other noble man before looking at his wife and placing a loving kiss against her temple. He then resumed his conversation with the other man.

“But perhaps with your physique, our darling might not even think twice about it.” The general’s lady added, with an impish grin.

“Mother!” Sunhwa gasped, turning cherry red with a horrified look.

Minhee giggled behind her hand, and the two suitors sitting across the daughters perked up, having nothing to really say as all attention was diverted to Himchan.

Himchan blinked, and settled on laughing. He still wasn’t sure what to say. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he patted and lightly smiled in an attempt to comfort the earlier teasing but her cheeks only seemed to grow darker.

From there, conversation picked up again. Himchan made small conversations with the mousy suitors and the rest of the family. Sunhwa and Minhee both curiously asked him about the Briggs since she had never been there. The dinner was pleasant and by the end of it, the atmosphere was much more comfortable compared to the beginning. 

That night, as Himchan pulled the wool covered cloth over himself he thought about the general’s family. His initial entrance had certainly been awkward and the fancy attire that everyone had donned on that the stable boy didn’t have made him feel out of place, but overall they had been welcoming and very curious about the trader’s lifestyle. The familial atmosphere had quelled his loneliness and for a split second, the stable boy wished that he was royal. He wouldn’t mind joining a joyful family like that.

Himchan sighed, pushing away at the inky locks that relentlessly poked at his eyes. He was long due for a haircut.

❋ / ❋ / ❋

It was two weeks before his job would end when news of the original stable boy that Himchan had replaced was all healed up. The dark haired boy had woken up at the butt crack of dawn like usual and was surprised to see the general and a fair-headed boy conversing in the barn he was in charge of.

The general turned when he heard the stable boy approaching. “Ah, Himchan. Morning.” 

“Morning.” Himchan greeted to both the general and the boy with fair hair. 

“Hello, morning!” The other boy chirped. 

“This is the original stable boy you had replaced. He’s back and all healed up, which I suppose means that your work here is done Himchan.” The general looked down at the dark haired boy with a fond grin. 

“Oh.” Himchan breathed, surprised. A feeling of elation washed through him at the news mixed with a bit of sadness. 

The general slapped a large hand on the stable boy’s shoulder and gave it a hard squeeze. Himchan winced, he had a feeling the general wasn’t aware of his own strength. 

“Come ride with me, Himchan. There is something I wish to speak to you about.” The general rumbled, his baritone voice, deeper than the dark haired boy’s. He strode to the largest horse and snapped for the fair-headed boy to set up the riding gear. 

Himchan approached the silver white spotted horse without a second thought and gave her a small smile. 

“Hello Uppi.” He whispered, raising his hand to run it down her long snout. 

Himchan had long since found out that the Jongup-horse was a female, but the nickname had stuck so Himchan had kept it. Uppi nickered in response, grey ears and large glassy eyes focused on the stable boy she had become so familiar with.

Buckling the saddle on, the dark haired boy stuck one boot into the stirrup before throwing his leg over the other side of the sturdy horse. Once on top of the horse, he grabbed the reins and followed the general who was already outside the barn. 

The general rode at a fixed pace, seeming in deep thought as Himchan and his horse trotted a few steps behind taking the time to enjoy the scenery he would be leaving soon. The trees around them were bare, and the frosty wind bit at his nose.

It was sort of weird, thinking about leaving now, seeing as he had finally grown used to Dunwich. Surprisingly, Himchan found himself enjoying the steady routine of tending to the horses. The stable boy had learned so much more about different animals and the experience had been interesting.

“Himchan.” 

The stable boy nudged Uppi against her thighs and softly clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. Uppi sped up so that she matched the pace of the horse the general was on and Himchan turned to the older man who was now beside him.

“Yes sir?”

“You like it here, in Dunwich.” He stated, although Himchan knew it was more of a question rather than a statement.

The stable boy nodded, knowing the general’s eyes were trained on his face. This seemed to be an answer that pleased the other, as the older man’s lips curved up.

“I see that you didn’t return home for any of the holidays.” The general brought up, eyebrows furrowing.

“No, my home is in Briggs.” Himchan replied, keeping his eyes forward. The stable boy spotted animal feces that lay a couple feet ahead and he swiftly tugged the reins to the left. Uppi snorted in response, and Himchan clucked his tongue back. 

“I just saved you from getting poop in your hooves.” The dark haired boy reprimanded. 

The general chuckled and moved closer to the stable boy so they could resume their conversation.

“Briggs is quite far. I wondered why you had stayed, had you asked I would have had no qualms in letting you take another week off.” 

Himchan was surprised. Then again, for the past months the general had seemed to favor him over the other stable boys. This was confirmed when the brute man beside him opened his mouth again.

“I’d like to offer you a permanent job here. With the same pay- of course. Or perhaps you could consider the idea of joining the King’s army.” 

The stable boy hesitated. The offer was more than gratuitous, but living at Dunwich for the rest of his life wasn’t something he was currently planning on doing, especially not since all the people dear to him lived in Briggs. 

“Thank you for the offer.” Himchan started, smiling apologetically. “But I’ve already been away from home for far too long and…” the dark haired boy trailed off.

The general nodded, understanding what the other meant. “There’s no place like home. “Perhaps you are too homesick to consider this offer?” 

Himchan laughed and the general joined in. “Perhaps. However, if you do ever have any temporary job offers, I would love to come back for some time.”

❋ / ❋ / ❋

This was it. He was finally heading home. Himchan ceremoniously tossed the smaller of his bags onto the cot that had been his temporary residence for the past season and flomped onto it, nearly banging his head against the wall. He had bid the family a farewell, and needless to say Sunhwa had been disappointed to see him go. She had given him an envelope and told him not to open it until he had gotten home. It now lay safely tucked inside his bag.

Sitting up, Himchan took one final look around the small cabin. It never had gotten that cluttered, but it was so much emptier and it made him a bit sad. But as sad as it was to think that he was leaving the pleasant town Dunwich, the stable boy was eager and excited to come back to Briggs. The cobblestone town was much more rattier and had filthier dark alleys, but that was just what made it all the more ironically comfortable, as that was what “home” was to him. 

There was just something about Briggs that was unforgettable and the fact that it was much more closer to Reiara…well that was just an added bonus.

So with the thought of returning home, Himchan bolted up and heaved his bags onto his shoulders with a heavy grunt. Over the couple of months, he had found small gifts and collectables to bring home and give to friends, so his bags were stuffed to the brim and was considerably much heavier than he had first arrived to Dunwich. 

The corners of his lips pulled up when he imagined how Jongup would react to the gift he got him. The elf had been ecstatic at the glass cut dandelion Himchan had made, and given him a while ago. And while exploring the marketplace a couple weeks back, something sparkly had caught his eye and he knew he had to get it for the elf.

As Himchan shut the door to the cabin, the early morning air bit at his skin. There was frost on the tips of the brown grass, and he pulled up his scarf higher as he began to trudge towards the path that would lead him back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the late update...I figured it was better to post a couple days late and have the quality of writing be better than rush it, you know? I've also been drawing and playing Pokemon Go to be honest... o u o;;
> 
> Anyways, YAY so Himchan is coming home! It's about time isn't it! (That's why this chapter is longer, I wanted to bunch it in all together.)
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> **As always, thank you so so much to everyone who comments and leaves kudos, I LOVE LOVE hearing your thoughts about it! I LOVE YOU ALL!**


	7. Bloom; part 7

“Jongup!” His mother called from downstairs. Jongup groaned, voice muffled in his pillow.

“ _Jongup!_ ” She called again, louder this time. The tone in her voice was much sharper this time and so the elf got up despite the fact that his body was aching and his head was pounding. Leaning against the doorway, he attempted to rub the sleep from his eyes doing so just made touching his eyes hurt.

“What?” Jongup yelled back, annoyed. 

“ _Jonguuup!_ ” She repeated with more ferocity. The young elf stormed downstairs, mood absolutely foul. He had just spent the entire day healing elves that had caught the flu. Easing their symptoms had only made his overall condition worse, as the more elves healed the more tired he got.

He was drained and exhausted and all he wanted to do was get some sleep so that he could recover. He had also been meaning to visit the clearing, but with the way things were going, there would be no time for that today. In any case, he was probably too exhausted and achy to dance his frustrations out. But the call to dance was strengthening and since the elf had not heeded the call in quite some time he was starting to feel as if he were suffocating again. It tore at his chest and the desperation was attempting to claw its way out.

The only bright side seemed to be the fact that the boatload of sick elves had came this whole past week, so with some luck the next few days would be far more relaxing. He couldn’t express how happy he was at this fact, because in all honesty, the elf wasn’t sure how much more he could take at this point.

Jongup sniffed, feeling sorry for himself as he rounded the corner downstairs. His mother stood in the kitchen angrily stirring a large pot of soup. She too had spent the whole day trying to help the villagers feel better and from the dark circles under her eyes Jongup could tell she wasn’t faring any better than he was. Flu season was simultaneously the worst and the best. The Moon family became irritable and rich all at the same time.

She unceremoniously sloshed spoon after spoon of soup into another smaller pot before handing it over to Jongup. The delicious smell of beef rose into his nostrils and yet the alluring smell did nothing to soothe his foul mood. He rose a brow at it questioningly, and his mother sighed pulling her hair back into a bun.

“Bring that over to Yongguk’s.” She said simply, before turning back to the stove. Jongup frowned.

“Why?”

“That boy is still young even though he’s an Elder. He could still be growing and he gets so engrossed in his work he forgets to eat. _You know that._ ” She finished, snapping at her son.

“No _I know that._ I meant, why _me_?” He questioned, fully aware that arguing was useless but feeling the need to do so anyways. “Why can’t dad do it?” 

His mother massaged her temples, eyes closed. “Your father is sleeping.” 

Jongup’s frown pulled deeper. 

“You know he healed far more than us, stop arguing and just bring it over.” She spoke, tone harsh and final. 

Jongup grumbled under his breath and turned away before he pissed his mother off any further. Grabbing his thick coat and stepping into his boots he tried not to slam the door on the way out.

It was sort of an universally known truth that healers got irritable during flu season. And it made sense, especially for the Moon family. 

Because they were the most reliable healers around, most villagers always went to them whenever they needed help. It wasn’t rare to find elves from further villagers away who had traveled longer just to seek help from them. So when flu season rolled around, the patience threshold for all healers became significantly smaller and over time they had gained the stereotype of being rude, irritable asses. They tended to get away with it however, because every elf around realized just how taxing a healer’s job could be when there was such a high demand.

Although Jongup normally tried to reign in his frustration, it had finally gotten to the point today where he had accidentally snapped at another mother who had only been fussing and worrying over her sick child. His own mother had seen, and she had scolded him. Jongup had immediately felt guilty, knowing he had been in the wrong, and thankfully the child’s mother had understood. She responded with a giggle at his expression before gently patting him on the head. It was never personal, and all elves knew that. 

It was always a nice relief at the end of the day when all the strangers had finally gone home. The Moon family could snap at each other with no real repercussions. 

Jongup walked quickly, eager to get the errand done with so that he could return to his warm bed. The frozen grass crunched underneath his boots. Approaching the small building, he wasted no time knocking on the door. It was cold outside.

“Come in!” A muffled voice sounded. The door was unlocked and Jongup welcomed the warm blast of air that enveloped his skin. The fireplace crackled softly lighting up the dark room, and the peaceful atmosphere seemed to melt away the large majority of his irritation. It was the first moment in Jongup’s day where Jongup wasn’t constantly on the move, and the plush couch in Yongguk’s home was looking extremely inviting at the moment.

Before his mind could persuade him to fall onto the couch, Jongup headed towards the side room where he knew the Elder would be. It was mostly closed, but the elf didn’t bother knocking. Yongguk knew someone was at the door. Barging in, Jongup used a hand to shield his eyes from the harsh light, his eyes still hurting from the exhaustion. 

He walked forward, not really paying attention to where he was going when he crashed into someone. The elf fell back, both hands clamping onto the small pot to ensure that the contents wouldn’t spill. He was bracing for the impact that would no doubt only make his body ache even more when he felt a pair of strong arms wrap around his waist. 

Startled, Jongup opened his eyes and was met with coal colored eyes. The gaze was dark and intense to say the least. It bubbled a strange heat within his gut and chest- something the elf hadn’t felt in a long time. 

Coal dark eyes slid down the elf’s face, lips pulling into an easy grin. Jongup felt his expression balk and his cheeks flame. Confusion swirled through his head rendering him speechless. 

“Himchan…?” Jongup finally squeaked, clutching the pot even tighter to his chest. 

“Jongup.” The other replied, low baritone rumbling throughout the room. His mouth was still pulled into an easy grin and his arms wounded tighter around the slightly smaller boy’s. 

The elf marveled at the human, eyes tracing the tips of his ears that held no points before jumping to his straight thick brows, and down to those plump lips with a prominent cupid bow. _It really was him._ Except this time, his hair was shorter, and his bangs were pushed up to reveal his forehead.

Jongup felt his cheeks crack into a smile. He felt shy all of a sudden, now that the initial shock had passed away.

They must have been staring at each other for quite some time because Yongguk who had been standing was now sitting. He watched them with avid interest, both hands propping the bottom of his chin. The Elder cleared his throat and both pairs of eyes suddenly snapped, whipping over to him.

Jongup jumped back out of the other’s arms in embarrassment, and the dark haired boy secretly mourned the lost of touch. 

“You know each other.” Yongguk said slowly, voice even deeper than Himchan’s. The two glanced at each other, before nodding with smiles. 

Yongguk was curious beyond all hell. He had not expected two of his friends, of different races for that matter to know each other and in all honesty it was taking everything in him to not yell “ _How!?_ ”, but the logical side of him decided it was best to interrogate his human friend later. There was a story here, especially with the way the two had been staring at each other, and Yongguk would be damned if he didn’t hear it.

Jongup placed the pot of soup down before Yongguk, scratching the back of his head. He was flustered and amazingly- all earlier feelings of annoyance and frustration had been whisked away.

“My mom made this for you. She said ‘Don’t forget to eat it’.”

Yongguk brought the pot closer, cracking open the lid. Steam billowed out and the delicious smell of baked beef potato soup filled the air. His stomach let out a growl and he smiled. 

“Thanks, and tell your mom I say thanks again as well.”

Jongup nodded. Silence descended the air again.

“Jongup.” Yongguk’s low voice rumbled out as he took in the appearance of the other. “Are you okay?” 

The young healer was startled at this question. He nodded quickly and laughed. “You know, flu season.” He said with a tired smile, all while scratching the back of his neck. Yongguk’s question had suddenly made Jongup aware of how horrible his appearance must have been. He turned away instinctively from Himchan (although it shouldn’t have mattered since the human boy had already seen him at his worst, when he was crying), under the pretense that he was facing the Elder’s direction more.

Yongguk nodded. “Okay. Healing is good and all, but please remember to take care of yourself. It does no good for the patient if you’re sick with exhaustion as well.”

The young healer nodded and headed towards the door. He had to get back for dinner quickly unless he wanted to face his mother’s wrath.

“I will. Thank you Yongguk.” He knew that the older was only concerned for him, and the elf was truly thankful for that. 

“I have to go back now. For dinner.” Jongup spoke up, feeling the need to explain his hasty exit, not wanting the other two to think that he didn’t like their presences. He paused, taking one last look at Himchan who was staring back at him before exiting the room.

 

❋ / ❋ / ❋

 

The sky was dark and a dimly lit lamp glowed in the midst resembling a firefly. Walking down the snow path, the elf came to a gradual stop, boots shuffling through the snow. 

_Himchan was back._

It was the only thing that Jongup was able to think about and he found himself repeating the phrase to himself over and over again, as if he stopped it suddenly wouldn’t be true anymore. He smiled to himself and felt the heavy feeling lift off his shoulders. The world was feeling a lot lighter than it had roughly fifteen minutes ago.

So deep in his thoughts, Jongup was startled and almost ready to punch whoever had just tugged on his arm. Spinning around, Jongup was surprised to see the outline of his human friend’s face. 

“Hey.” Himchan started, breathless from catching up with the elf. His warm breaths of air blew across the elf’s face and Jongup tried to ignore the way it made his cheeks tingle.

“Hey.” Jongup replied, heart skipping a beat. When the older finally caught his breath, he stared at the elf, lips pulled into a frown. 

“…What?” Jongup asked, aware of the others gaze, unsure if there was something stuck on his face. Himchan didn’t reply, instead reaching out to lightly trace the dark circles under the elf’s eyes. Jongup flinched. He had forgotten how touchy Himchan could be. 

The slightly taller boy stooped forwards so that he could stare closer into the elf’s eyes, gaze softening.

“You okay?” He asked, his rough hand still placed against the elf’s cheek. Jongup stared back into the dark coal eyes, tongue twisted and stuck in his throat. He had also forgotten how much Himchan could disarm him. With one stroke and question, Jongup suddenly felt like he was about to cry and he had to wonder what it was about the older boy that could so quickly neutralize his defenses.

Jongup looked down, and slowly shook his head. Leaning the top of his head down against the other’s chest, the elf sighed. 

“I haven’t danced in a week.” He confessed, gripping the front of the dark haired boy’s coat. Himchan’s breath hitched, and his eyebrows pulled together in horror.

_Jongup hadn’t danced in a week?_

“I’ve been busy. Healing, since it’s flu season.” Jongup let out a shaky breath.

Himchan was silent. He was angry, frustrated, and his chest filled with a mixture of emotions that overwhelmed him. He couldn’t take away Jongup’s pain. He couldn’t wish it away, no matter how much he wanted to. Moon Jongup was the most beautiful when he was smiling, and he deserved to do so everyday. 

Instead he was graced with dark circles under his eyes, skin that was ghastly pale (so much so that it looked like he was sick), and his posture- so normally straight and tall was pulled down as if he held the world’s weight on top of his shoulders. And he did- helping all the elves that were down with the flu couldn’t have been easy. Himchan just wanted to take it all away. But he couldn’t.

 _Or could he?_ Himchan suddenly smiled, grabbing the edges of Jongup’s shoulders. He startled the younger, and the elf looked up in surprise, neck protesting in pain at the swift action.

“Hey. Listen, why don’t you come to Briggs town with me? Get away from it all, for a day or two…you can stay at my house.” 

Himchan couldn’t take away Jongup’s pain, not exactly, but he could help the silver haired boy forget about his troubles temporarily.

The elf peered into the older boy’s eyes, trying to see if he had heard correctly. Himchan’s serious expression and steady eyes told him that he was in fact, a hundred percent serious. 

“I mean…we could leave tomorrow…not now it’s too late.” Himchan blabbed on.

The dark haired boy shifted, suddenly unsure about the invitation he had just extended. Had it been too forward? Was Jongup uncomfortable with the idea?

“Only if you want to.” Himchan hastily added. The elf’s silence was starting to make him anxious, and he was starting to regret suggesting the idea.

“ _No, no,_ I want to! I mean, can I? …I would love to.” The elf blurted all in one breath, chest on the verge of spilling with excitement and happiness. He had been so stunned at the idea of a vacation that for a brief moment, Jongup had forgotten how to reply.

Himchan broke into a grin. “Of course you can.” He replied, as relief flooded through him.

 

❋ / ❋ / ❋

 

Jongup practically skipped home, unable to stop the grin that split from ear to ear. Himchan had invited him to Briggs and they would be leaving in the morning.

He was beyond giddy for so many different reasons. Besides the obvious fact that the only human he had ever met had returned, Jongup was finally going to explore the lands outside of Reiara. And most important of all, he would be able to get away from all the stress at home.

The platinum haired boy bounded inside, kicking off his boots and hanging up his coat. Changing into his sleepwear and grabbing a large bag, Jongup began packing all the things he would need while staying over at Himchan’s house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAYYYYYY FINALLY THE LONG AWAITED REUNION!! And a fun trip over to Himchan's house... I wonder what will be in store! ;)) _Huahuhauhua....don't get /too/ excited though kids, remember this is a slow burn! /winky face/_  
>  Again, thank you so much to everybody who comments/leaves kudos/bookmarked! I love you all. Hope this chapter lived up to your expectations!   
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> **Anyways, so this week I'll actually be going to Comic Con. So I'm sorry but there won't be another chapter next week since there won't be any time to edit! (My cousin, who is also my editor will be going with me! Much apologies again, hang on a lil' longer guys!**


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